We all know the drill : those 2 week bootcamps that guarantee results and sure enough you lose a few pounds. You’re skinny jeans fit and bam life is good. That was money well spent......
Right?
WRONG!
You lose wt. b/c you likely severely restrict your caloric intake and likely mostly lost water wt (about 5-10lbs.). This is ideal if you’ve got a hot first date or event to get to and want to look slim, and waited to the last minute to prepare. But let what I said sink in “look slim.” You go to the event and the next day wake up and you’re 10lbs heavier. How’d that happen? Inflammation, water retention and your body finally shifting out of starvation mode. If your body could talk it would say -- Yes! Thank the baby Jesus, I have fuel again….I’m gonna store it all so I am never sohungry again. And we do this over and over again, getting heavier and heavier each and every time.
Gang, this kind of dieting is not sustainable and just wreaks havoc on your body. You risk damaging the kidneys messing with a whole host of hormones and in general just feeling like crap all the time. It’s an awful truth and we’ve all been there.
So what is a good “ diet”? What will work and is sustainable?
It has to do with macros not calories.
What is a macro in very basic terms it is: a substance required in relatively large amount in the human diet (i.e.: fat, protein, carbohydrate). These substances make up the caloric content of a food. So what does all that mean?
Healthy fats, lean proteins, and low glycemic index carbs. Let’s go through each macronutrient to get a basic understanding, then calculate how many grams of each we need every day.
Protein: Calories: 4 calories per gram.
The king of the of fitness nutrition, protein is mostly associated with building muscle and primarily found in meat and dairy. However, its uses extend beyond muscle: it’s the core component of organs, bones, hair, enzymes, and pretty much all other types of tissue in your body.
Proteins are made of amino acids, many of which the body can make itself. However, there are nine amino acids that are strictly required for normal body function that your body can’t make itself and must come from the diet. These amino acids are called essential amino acids, and the full nine can be found from all meat sources or specific supplements .
Carbohydrates: Calories: 4 calories per gram.
The poor carb; first friend, then foe, then friend again–our relationship with carbohydrates has been fickle at best throughout the years. Carbs are your body’s most easily accessible source of energy, and is broken up into glycogen (used by muscles and your liver) and glucose (used by the brain).
Carbs are divided into simple and complex carbohydrates. The two classifications refer to the length of the carbohydrate molecules. Simple carbohydrates are easily broken down--basically they’re sugars. On the other hand, complex carbohydrates takes longer for your body to break down into usable components.
Interestingly though, the world of macros, a carb is a carb, whether uno matter the source. However my friends -- this is not a free pass endorsement allowing you to rely on pop tarts and candy to meet your targets. But the freedom of choice is there, and relaxing this boundary between “good” and “bad” foods is super important. Gang, you have to live and enjoy it. Make these changes a way of life! And live!
Fats: Calories: 9 calories per gram.
Fats often gets a bad rap because it’s the most calorie-dense nutrient out there. But they’re so very important to body functions; the backbone to important hormones, insulation for nerves, skin and hair health, and that's just the beginning. There are different fats including: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. Out of all of them, the main three you should be concerned about are trans fats, omega-3 fatty acids, and omega-6 fatty acids.
Trans fats, have been consistently shown to increase the risk of coronary heart disease, and therefore should generally be avoided. Trans fats are typically found in proceeded packages foods.
Omega 3 and 6, however, are what’s known as essential fatty acids. Similar to essential amino acids, your body can’t produce them by itself so you have to eat them in your diet daily. Omega-3’s can be found in fatty fish, flax, and walnuts and interestingly they are more easily absorbed from animal sources. Omega 6’s can be found in all kinds of vegetable oil.
So what does that mean to you in your daily life?
The simplest method is to allocate the calories towards each nutrient according to a percentage. The most commonly used split is 40:40:20, so that 40% of your calories allocated to protein, 40% to carbohydrates, and 20% to fats.
How does this apply to daily intake? Let's say your target caloric intake is 2000 calories per day. You decide to split your macros according to a 40:40:20 split. From there, use the following calculations:
Carbohydrates
- 40% of your calories are devoted to your carbohydrate intake.
- 2000 x 0.4 = 800 calories.
- 4 calories/gram of carbs, so 200 grams of carbohydrates (800÷4=200).
And you would repeat this process for protein and fat calories/gram ratio
Now what about challenges?
If you aren’t loose wt there may be a couple things at play:
1. You are over estimating your daily macro need
2. You are under estimating what you are taking in (is it a Tbsp of PB or a Heeping Tbsp of PB and maybe another ½ a scoop?)
If you find you aren’t losing the weight ( and this should happen at a steady decline) drop your marco intake 5-10%...and be honest with what you are actually eating each day.
This way of dieting is realistic, sustainable, and wonderfully healthy, fueling your body priming it for the day and awesome stuff like exercise. ….. but that’s another weeks topic.
Check out this site one of my favs. to read. How to count your macros
So this is seriously a whole ton of information -- If you are one of the many struggling with your weight or maybe you're just curious about what and how much to eat to feel energized and able to take on your day, leave you email below. Let’s connect and get you on track to the strongest, healthiest, most energized you ever! I am here for you. A nurse’s mind, a cyclist’s heart, and a yoga soul to guide you along your journey.
In light and life.