In a recent article, I discussed the problems with utilizing intuitive eating as a method of fat loss. More so, I discussed how losing fat by using your intuition is the opposite thing. What I am going to discuss today is how to go against that intuition in a sense, and retrain yourself to know what’s going on, while still living in a bit of ignorant bliss.
Here is a funny thing you might not know about me, I hate counting calories too. People think because of this video or because of a lot of the information I talk about in the Fat Loss Troubleshoot that I think counting calories is the only way to do things. This isn’t true and in FLTS I give you many ways to go about it other than counting. That being said, sometimes it is a necessary thing to do in order to not land in frustration and to be as close as possible to your goals. Sometimes you at least need the reality check off truly understanding your intake. Still, if I had it my way, everyone would be in ignorant of all these details and just lose fat. Gosh, if only it were that simple.
Let’s assume, for the sake of this article, you already understand calories and make smart food decisions. Let’s assume you are tired of measuring and want to learn how to manipulate intake to achieve fat loss, without having to pay attention to the OC details. The following is going to help you do that.
Listening to the side effects
I have discussed this previously, but a refresher never hurts. One of the reasons it is so hard to achieve fat loss is the side effects. No one talks about it and everyone thinks it is a moderate thing. The truth is the side effects from fat loss are the reason most of you don’t finish.
There are various factors that come into play that determine the intensity of your side effects and which ones you have. For example, some people will have no problem sleeping yet others can start to experience insomnia. The length of time you are in a deficit is also going to affect things on different levels. For example, longer term dieting down can result in noticeable changes in metabolic performance and health. This can be anything from a decrease in reproductive function to an increase in depression and anxiety.
Why do we have side effects?
In this day and age, especially in North America, we mostly eat for enjoyment. The truly starved and deprived are hard to find in America. Water is also available, for free, at every turn. To be truly hungry in this country, during this time, is rare. It also helps that our religious and political movements of protests are kinder to the body. In other countries, there have been many stages of protest via starvation. In some protests the side effects were death, loss of legs/arms, and even tongues. This is of course over a span of not eating for 4-weeks and already being in a relative lean body condition. While water is more important to survival, food is a key ingredient. You can’t gloss over that fact. We are taught, especially in America, that we need to stop thinking about food. We are told food is the problem, and to fear it. The truth is food is are very survival and without it we would be dead. We must embrace it and learn to use food to our advantage.
The absence of food and fat loss is not healthy. Yes, it can lead to being more healthy, but the act puts us in a deficiency state. These deficiencies and lack of metabolic feed is what causes the side effects. This is where the argument for a “calorie isn’t just a calorie” comes in. While you need a deficit to achieve fat loss, what you choose is important. No amount of food changes the laws of energy and you should be wise to run if you see anyone say otherwise. However, food can alter the state your body is in and the advancement of negative side effects and metabolic shut down.
Here is a brief list of possible side effects from short term weight loss with a few tips.
Hunger – Worse for the first 3 Days, usually decreases dramatically after that.
Headaches – Can be pretty vicious the first few nights, but should decrease. Yo-yo dieters might think they are dealing with migraines.
Decrease in bloating - Usually a more positive side effect for most, particularity in the upper part of your stomach. Developing bloat in the lower can come in a matter of 1-2 weeks if bowel movements are becoming a problem.
Softness of muscles/pump – Most people think they have lost their muscles, but they haven’t. Atrophy isn’t that easy to achieve on large levels, but depletion of glycogen from being in a fed state is. The “pump” you have is usually form excess carbohydrates and electrolyte balance.
Moodiness – Pretty much stays the whole time and you become manic.
Being Lightheaded – While it can occasionally present itself for long periods of time, it should remain during fast movements or rising from low ground.
Being Tired – Pretty much stays the whole time being you are in a energy deficit.
Leg Cramps - Can be problematic at nighttime. If so try playing with your levels of magnesium intake and electrolytes replenishment.
Body Aches – When coupled with a new training program this can be exaggerated. Epsom salt baths help with aches and leg cramps as well.
Changes in Sleep - You may find insomnia becomes a problem or falling asleep in general. You can also find apathy increases and getting up in the morning becomes harder and harder.
Changes in Thirst - Don’t just increase water, but also watch levels of sodium/potassium intake. Using an electrolyte replenishment drink helps greatly with energy and dry mouth problems.
Changes in Urination – Just remember this is how you release burned fat. If you aren’t peeing, you aren’t losing.
Changes in Bowel Movements - Less food will equal less movement. If getting veggies and fruit your fiber intake isn’t likely the issue, but usually hydration, fat, and stimulation of the nervous system is the problem.
Changes in Sexual Arousal – Decreased libido is an issue. A big help is putting a high GI carb meals and caffeine stimulation around your sexin time.
Mild Depression/Anxiety – Usually keeping a higher targeted carbohydrate intake and larger/less frequent meals will help with this.
These are your usual suspects when it comes to weight loss. Longer term dieting down can lead to more severe symptoms. The point is not to get there in the first place. For the most part, long term side effects are more dramatic and higher scale versions of what is stated above.
When you move from being in a fed state to a deficit (beyond 25%), the initial changes should become obvious. If you deficit is less than this, if you aren’t coming from a fed state, or you are in the (real) last 10 pounds of fat range it may not be as obvious. Most people will notice – decrease in bloat, increase of urination, hunger, tiredness, and muscle softness. It is almost safe to say if none of these things take place – you are not in a noticeable deficit. That doesn’t mean you aren’t in a deficit at all, but likely only a small one.
How to test your side effects?
Since everyone is different, one thing you can do is pick a week to follow a calculated and counted deficit. What this means is to determine your activity expenditure and caloric intake. If you ever need help with this you can always get the FLTS or become a member and post in the forums. Once you have determined what your intake should be, follow it to the letter and record a journal of everything you are feeling. This is where listening to your body really comes in handy. Does your head hurt? Do you have more energy? Is your mind scattered? Are you having a hard time getting words out? Whatever it is, write it down. Try to use this time of a known deficit to help guide your upcoming non-calculated deficit.
A few more tricky things…
What can make things more tricky is if you learned how to minimize these side effects with the best nutrition, supplementation, and workouts. For example, most of my programing and general ideas try to lead you away from those side effects as much as possible. If you remove those things you might feel the side effects more. So keep in mind that sound programming and strategy might be downgrading your severity. Remember to watch for more subtle things with your mind and body.
Now that you know, what do you do?
Now that you understand the side effects it is time to use them to your advantage. You can then set up a nutritional and training program that is on intuition auto-pilot. Decrease until you hit side effects, watch your progress (see below), and keep consistent. When you aren’t being sensitive with measurement you have to be consistent with your actions. If you do that and things don’t go your way, at least you will know you have to downshift.
How to gauge fat loss without a scale?
If you are doing everything you need to be doing, it should just happen. This isn’t the case of the tree in the forest no one hears. If you don’t get on the scale, you will still lose weight. That being said, pay attention to the little things. How do your clothes fit? Is it becoming easier to get up from low positions? Do certain bodyweight movements get dramatically easier even if your external weight progressions aren’t going up as fast?
To some degree you have to trust yourself and the process. If you really are eating less and taking care of yourself, it will happen.
When to break?
Watch for certain signs to increase in intensity (pain, insomnia, depression, reproductive) and others to decrease in intensity (hunger, tiredness, thirst). When you stop caring all together about food and start becoming a anxiety filled maniac, it’s time to eat until you don’t feel like that anymore. Do a proper diet break and then start all over expecting the same round of side effects you went through last time until you are done with your fat loss.
Related posts:
Leigh I have been waiting to use this and I believe NOW IS THE TIME!
http://yfrog.com/5mhyby1hsrp
Thank you SOOO much for this quick follow up! Since the last article I have gave thought to how I was going to pull this off and I was hitting walls. This makes complete sense!
I didn’t realize you had a members only (duff)! With the membership offer, are you on the forums often? I have reservations about purchasing after a bad experiance with another membership. Not that I don’t trust your content, but I would inly be interested in one-on-one communication.
Thank you for being so straight forward and helpful!
That was an interesting article series. I just found you through Fitcast and you say unique things.
Hi Leigh,
Thanks for the article! I have to admit I’m terrified of being hungry AND when the depression starts it’s hard to stick with the deficit. This article should help me understand what my body is going through!
This opens up my eyes to a lot of things. I usually take these things as signs to eat and stop because I DONT feel good. I guess I have been a wimp.
Thank you for listing these out! So, in essence, it is a good sign if you are feeling these things because it indicates you are losing fat? I’m a bit confused by the increase intensity with (anxiety, pain, insomnia) but to decrease intensity with (hunger, thirst, tiredness)… the former meaning you aren’t dieting hard enough and the latter meaning too hard?
A++ on these articles Leigh.
Leigh, thank you so much for these last two articles. So much great information. I am going to have to read them again just to make sure I retain all the information in them. I greatly appreciate the time you have spent in sharing these articles.
“This isn’t the case of the tree in the forest no one hears. If you don’t get on the scale, you will still lose weight.” < LOL Thank you!
Very timely. “Trust the process” is my mantra at the moment because I refuse to weigh myself until I fit in my clothes the way I know I will when I’m at an acceptable weight… lol…
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