Arlington client, Carl’s health journey first began with gathering knowledge about his own body composition and metabolism data, then leveraging awareness of his pitfalls in nutrition to completely change his habits to support healthy fat loss and lean muscle gain. His key to motivation? Data and accountability. Read on to learn more about his experience working with the Composition ID team.
- Describe your body composition transformation journey and why you began with the Composition ID Nutrition Program.
I have struggled with honing in on my ideal my body composition for years. I played sports growing up and always tried to stay in good physical shape. As I got older and passed my 30s and 40s, it became more difficult to get in…and stay in…the kind of shape I wanted to be in. Trying to find my way through nutrition and exercise while dealing with nagging (and new) injuries as well as fighting Father Time was getting extremely frustrating and I wanted to get a better understanding of where I was and what I was up against. The scale could only provide me with a single data point and, for me, it was not an effective indicator of my current health or where I was trying to go on my fitness journey.
- Why did you choose Composition ID as your partner?
I chose Composition ID because they could provide me with the data that I needed to understand what I needed to feed the machine with and in what quantities. They could also show me how the food I took in and the exercise I did effected my overall body composition. I considered the cost of the program as well and for me it seemed to be a worthwhile investment to make the types of changes that I wanted to make.
- What were some of the challenges you’d faced prior to the Program?
Late. Night. Snacking. Prior to starting the Composition ID program I would stay up later than I should and the snacks would eventually make their way out of the pantry and into my face. I did not realize how many extra calories I consumed after 8:00pm. in either solid or liquid form. I’d say the other challenge was simply staying on track for an extended period of time. I could stay committed for a few weeks but when my single provider of data (the scale) didn’t show the kind of progress I expected I would fall back into old habits.
- What were the main nutrition and lifestyle changes you made being on the Program?
I started tracking all of my food and gained a better sense of how I should balance my macros based on my goals and my RMR. I got to bed at a decent time and stopped eating anything after 8:00pm. I also got back to lifting heavy and increasing the intensity of my cardio workouts. I reduced my alcohol intake and significantly increased my water intake.
- How did you stay motivated?
I was motivated by the monthly DEXA Scan. I looked forward to getting detailed information on how the Plan impacted my body and how the tweaks we made along the way were working, or not working, for me. It was good to know if I was on the right path or not and if the weight gain was lean muscle or excess fat.
- Did working with your Nutrition Coach provide accountability and structure?
Working with Rafi provided a great deal of accountability and structure. While my family was supportive, it was nice to have someone outside of the house to depend on and to answer to when the cart went off the rails. It was nice to get a review of my food intake each week and knowing that someone else was watching helped me to not put certain foods in my mouth.
- Did Composition ID’s testing services (DEXA and RMR) help you accomplish your goals?
While I am still working towards achieving my goals, the DEXA and RMR services have definitely helped me get, and stay, on track. Good information is critical in making good decisions and that’s what these two things provide. I’m still a work in progress but it’s nice to know that if I need to collect more date or make changes in my nutrition along the way there is a solid resource I can use to guide me.
- Has COVID changed your understanding of the relationship between nutrition and immune health.
Not significantly. COVID has reinforced the need to stay focused on nutrition when you can’t get out and be as active as you’d like.
- What advice would you give someone interested in changing their body composition through precision nutrition?
I would tell people that if they are looking to change their body composition that they need to be “all in” as far as the nutrition goes and to trust the process. Changes in nutrition my take a little time to manifest in the mirror but you can see the results in the data that you get from the DEXA Scans. Take the opportunity to step back and look at the larger picture that the additional information provides and let that guide you. With that information and a nutritionist to help guide you, you’ll be put on a path to be successful…the rest is up to you.
Want to get back on track too? Talk to our Nutrition Coaches today about designing a nutrition plan to achieve your body composition goals.
