The purpose of creating these tiered distinctions is to illustrate the principle that moving from tier to tier requires more than a linear increase in your efforts. If you wish to move from tier 1 to tier 2 you may have to put in 2x effort from your current nutritional and movement approach. You could say that you will have to choose Food is Function 2x for every 1x you choose Food is Pleasure to see progress. However, if you wish to go from Tier 2 to Tier 3, you cannot just keep the same 2x to 1x process. Moreover, it will not just be a linear increase to 3x to 1x process. There is likely going to require a 4-6x to 1x Function to Pleasure increase in order to see those results. This over simplification of the process of moving from tier to tier is not meant to be a perfect guide to success, but rather a conceptual approach to making progress.
- Tier 1 to Tier 2 – 2 Meals of Function for every 1 Meal of Pleasure (1 Pleasure meal a day)
- Tier 2 to Tier 3 – 6 Meals of Function for every 1 Meal of Pleasure (1 Pleasure meal every 2 days)
- Tier 3 to Tier 4 – 15 Meals of Function for every 1 Meal of Pleasure (1 Pleasure meal every 5 days)
- Tier 4 to Tier 5 – 30 Meals of Function for every 1 Meal of Pleasure (1 pleasure meal every 10 days)
- Tier 5 to Tier 6 – 66 Meals of Function for every 1 Meal of Pleasure (1 pleasure meal every 22 days)
The beauty of committing to a life of eating for Function is that you can very quickly learn how inject small bits of pleasure that will make your Functional eating much more enjoyable. When you begin, functional eating can feel boring when compared to eating for full pleasure. Our taste buds and brain chemistry take a little time but will adapt. You will begin to find your simple food to be pleasurable in it’s own way. Will a bowl of steamed broccoli ever live up to the dopamine hit you get when you consume a bowl of cereal or ice cream? Never. But you can start to connect the dots between palette satisfaction and a feeling in your body that matches how you want to look, feel, and perform. Plus, the tips and tricks that follow, will allow you to get maximum taste out of your food and literally spice the simple.
Eating the requisite number of calories and follow the requisite number of macronutrients you need to see results takes practice. For perhaps the full duration of this challenge you may need to focus solely on the Food is Function mindset and learn your numbers. After that you can begin the lifelong work of finding the ideal balance of Pleasure and Function in your food. For me, some weeks look very boring and simple. The function of food takes priority over all else. I eat the same basic things most days of the week and don’t stray. On special days, weeks, or occasions, I will purposefully slide over to the Food is Pleasure side of life and indulge. I always know where that food fits into the greater context of my approach and it helps guide me back to Function.
On a final note, I do find great satisfaction in the food I eat daily. Even the FUNCTIONAL food I consume tastes delicious to me and is rewarding every time I sit down to eat. I tell you this to ensure you remain hopeful that eating for Aesthetics, Performance, and Health doesn’t mean you are sentenced to a life of boring and dull. However, I caution you against making pleasure seeking in food your first goal. Instead, see how far down the food is function path you can walk, how simple you can make things, and how consistent you can be. You will know when you really have earned a Pleasure departure and the progress you make towards your goal as a result of keeping it simple and focused will be more of a reward than any Pleasurable Food Indulgence you can find, that I promise!