10 Signs You’re On The Right Path (Beyond The Scale and Mirror)
Judy lost 20lbs eating (insert extreme diet here - low carb, keto, carnivore, vegan)!
Ok - Judy has your attention.
“What did she do? How did she do it?”
These are the thoughts that are quick to surface and we tend NOT to think about things like…
“Hm, I wonder how she actually feels?”
“I wonder how she will feel doing this long term?”
“Maybe there are some negative side effects that should be looked into before trying this approach…”
Maybe Judy will be able to maintain this diet and her weight loss for some time but let’s fast forward and then we can see all the potential there is for trouble.
Undergoing changes without fully understanding the possible long term consequences, especially when it’s in the name of weight loss/body recomposition, rarely ends well.
We are constantly flooded with before and after pictures that really only show a tiny sliver of what is truly going on.
It shows you what you want to see and believe in.
You truly cannot tell someone’s health or well being by looking at a photo of them (nor should we try to), yet this is used to sell diets/programs all the time.
The reality is, changing our body isn’t hard to do, especially short term.
Where the challenge lies is in creating long term changes that we can maintain WITHOUT sacrificing health and wellbeing (and hopefully actually improving it).
Suzy, who is selling that “60 day keto weight loss starter guide” couldn’t care less about your hormones, sleep, quality of life, hair & skin, and digestion. She has just promised to get your weight down and once that’s done, any crash and burn that follows is your fault of course! She did what she promised.
We need to know how to gauge for ourselves if the changes we are implementing are helping us or hurting us, especially in the quest for body composition changes which can be stressful on the body.
Is it worth losing weight and getting leaner if it comes with also being exhausted, hungry, stressed, and experiencing dry skin, brittle/falling hair, a slow metabolism, poor libido, and impaired digestion?
The tricky thing is that these things can take time to really get bad enough that you have to pay attention and at that point a lot of damage has already been done.
You also need to understand that what may work for you now, may not be the perfect formula 5 years from now.
We change, our bodies change, and our lives change so it is natural that our nutritional needs may need some tweaking along the way as well. These are markers you can always reflect back on to self assess.
So with that said, how do you know if the changes you are making will benefit you now and in the long run? If losing weight is part of your goal, that’s fine but just be sure to look at MORE than just the mirror or the number on the scale.
I will preface this by saying if the proposed nutritional changes cut out or severely restrict intake and/or any major macronutrient (carbohydrate, protein, fat), I’d rethink the plan.
10 Health Markers To Consider
energy levels
Ideally, we want stable energy throughout the day and after meals (no crashes). We want to wake up feeling rested and feel tired at the end of the day closer to bed time. Major energy swings/crashes may be signalling that your food choices, timing, and/or pairing aren’t ideal and the body is stressed because of it.
appetite
A poor appetite or a very high appetite may be associated with high stress (which can be influenced by many things including your eating patterns, sleep, lifestyle, etc.). It can also be connected to poor nourishment or absorption of nutrients, or simply not eating enough. Intense cravings and hunger can also tell us our body isn’t getting something it needs or the food timing and pairing isn’t optimal.
Ideally we want to be hungry in the morning when we wake (within 1-2 hours), and feel satisfied after our meals for the following few hours.
skin, nails, and hair
How our bodies are doing on the inside will reflect on the outside and no amount of high end external products can compete or cover up an issue if there is one. If we are lacking certain nutrients or simply ENOUGH energy (especially carbs), we will see the signs.
We want strong clear nails, growing hair that isn’t too brittle or dry, and skin that is hydrated without having to slather on copious amounts of moisturizer constantly.
temperature
Low body temperature (ideal = 37 degrees C or so) and/or cold hands/feet/nose (extremities) can be a signal of a sluggish metabolism and perhaps a thyroid that isn’t functioning optimally/supported well which is certainly influenced by what and how you eat and nourish yourself.
We want HEAT! When the body and metabolism is running efficiently, there will be more heat generated. This is why it is vital to eat enough so that we don’t slow metabolism over time and also learn what kind of nutrients are important for a healthy thyroid and therefor metabolism (thyroid regulates metabolism).
digestion
What you eat is important but it matters a lot less if you aren’t actually able to absorb and assimilate the nutrients due to poor digestion. If you are experiencing regular gas, bloating, burping, diarrhea, constipation, or any other kind of digestive discomfort, then something you’re doing may not be working well for you and needs to be addressed.
I find many diets tend to include lots of foods that are hard to break down and over time that can really put a burden on the digestive system (nuts & seeds - including their butters & “milk", vegetables - especially when they aren’t cooked well or fermented or just eating in high quantities, beans & legumes). These foods may have a place in your diet but that’s a topic for another time - for now I just recommend noticing how they make you feel and reconsidering how large a part they play in your diet if you are experiencing any digestive issues.
libido
An increase in libido can be a great sign! If your body is thriving then it will be in a position to put more energy towards procreation rather than just using what energy it does have for survival.
It’s easy to blame a low libido on stress, work, kids, life, etc., but often times nutrition can play a role as well. If your body isn’t getting what it needs, whether it is not enough food, not enough of certain nutrients, or a combination of both, then procreation is going to be put on the back burner. Your body is going to put what energy it does have to better use to keep you alive and surviving.
sleep
If you are falling asleep with relative ease, staying asleep through the night, and waking up feeling rested, then you are certainly doing something right!
This should be the goal and if you are finding you have difficulties with this or your sleep is getting worse over time, then it can be a sign that your way of eating isn’t optimal. This is often a side effect that comes with not eating enough carbs, especially in the later part of the day. Your body (the liver specifically) still needs some fuel (glucose - from carbs) when at rest and if it becomes depleted then it creates a stress response that may wake you from sleep and make it very hard to go back to sleep.
Getting adequate sleep is a very important part of reaching any kind of health or fitness goal but often times we resort to diets that actual end up sabotaging our ability to have quality sleep and we are left worse off for it.
mentally and emotionally wellbeing
A nourished body is usually accompanied by a mind that is more calm, relaxed, happy, and resilient to stress. If you are noticing improvements in how you feel mentally and emotionally, then that is great!
If you are noticing that you are becoming more reactive or irritable, then that can certainly be a red flag. This usually comes paired with fatigue, brain fog, an inability to focus as well on tasks, and perhaps a lack of motivation. Again, we want to thrive and if we are feeling like this, it is safe to say that something may not be right.
performance during activity
Getting stronger in the gym? Feeling energized in your activity? Feeling motivated to move more? Yay!! This just goes to show that you are supporting your body’s needs and it is able to work, grow, and recovery efficiently.
If you are noticing you’re getting weaker, your strength hasn’t improved at all in a long time, or you are just finding it increasingly harder to even get yourself to do anything physical, you may just not be giving your body what it needs to expend all that energy and be able to recover from it stronger.
ability to heal
We all may deal with the occasional injury here and there and most of the time it’s no big deal. If that happens to you and you go through your recovery process and are OK within a reasonable amount of time, then great!
If you are constantly dealing with injuries or pains, or you notice that if you get a cut or bruise it takes forever to heal, then that may be signal that poor nutrition is undermining the healing process.
Getting leaner does not mean you are getting healthier and can often times actually backfire when done in a poor manner.
If weight loss is an important goal for you, check in with these markers as you make changes to your diet and lifestyle. Seeing these improve (or maintained) along side a slow and gradual change in body composition is where the magic happens.
Here are a few basic nutrition tips to help support you as you make changes while also making your health and wellbeing a priority!
