Macronutrients and Weight Loss: There is no one size fits all answer to diet.
The thing about weight loss is that there really is no one way to go about it.On one hand you can eliminate food groups, such as becoming Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, etc. and some will see weight loss. One another hand you can monitor your intake and expenditure of calories and see weight loss.
What works for one may not work for another, and this is also why the magic weight loss bullet does not exist.
Today I want to share a little more about the COMPOSITION of the calories we eat and how they play a part in our well being.
First off it is important to know that our bodies individually need different caloric levels to thrive, not just survive. We have seen many resting metabolic rate calculations that can be used to estimate your base caloric needs (assuming a coma-like state, no exercise, etc) however one has shown to be pretty accurate over the long term, the Mifflin St. Joer Equation.
Mifflin St. Jeor EquationFor men: BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) + 5
For women: BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) – 161
To convert lbs to kg: multiply your weight in lbs by 0.454 to get kg
To convert inches to cm: take your height in inches and multiply it by 2.54 to get your height in cm
Once you know an estimate of you base metabolic requirement to keep your body alive at the current weight, you can start to accommodate for your lifestyle factor by applying some easy multiplication. Multiplying that BMR number by 1.2 will account for a desk job, and includes the caloric deficit due to lack of activity. If you eat 1.2 x BMR and then work out for 2 hours each night, you will lose weight because you are creating an additional deficit - just make sure to not fall below that BMR number regularly or for too long.
If you are very mobile all day or workout many hours per day, you would want to go up to maybe even 1.4 x BMR to accommodate calories that your LIFESTYLE burns.
Anything that you burn above and beyond that is all going to result in body comp changes.
"What about food composition? And where do calories come from? If I can east 2200 calories per day I can just sit here and eat 2200 calories per day, right, and not gain weight? So 2200 calories of snickers and cake? SWEET!"
Well... yes and no.
Yes if you are just feeding yourself and willing to deal with no energy, bad mood, poor functioning of many systems. Brain fog, headaches, lack of motivation, etc. all stem from a crap food diet.
While 1 calorie is 1 calorie, where that calorie comes from is not equal. For instance in every 1 gram of carbohydrate or 1g of protein we get 4 calories to burn and use in our body processes. For every 1 g of fat we get 9 calories. Fat is the most energy dense nutrient there is.
We need a combination of carbohydrates, protein and fat every single day to keep our internal processes humming and our energy at a steady level.
Carbohydrates are easily used for endurance work and training - these are key to sustaining energy! Think sweet potatoes, potatoes, grains, vegetables, etc. The lower the glycemic (blood sugar) impact of the carb, the longer it will burn and the more even your energy will be. Sweet potatoes trump white potatoes, and leafy green veggies trump corn or rice.
Proteins are key for body detoxification, kidney health, muscle repair and energy transformation in our body. Lean meat proteins such as chicken, turkey, bison, grass-fed beef, and healthy cold water fish are good for meat eaters, and or plant based people think nuts, seeds, vegetables (green leafy veggies are actually quite high in protein) spirulina, sea veggies, and beans! Hemp is also a great source of protein.
Fats are key for brain function and to keep our body fluid and mobile. Avocado, coconut, nuts and seeds all contain healthy fats. Coconuts are a great source of medium chained triglycerides which are key for cardiovascular health.
Everything we eat is made up of these 3 macro (large) nutrients, and these 3 macro-nutrients are the only things we get calories - energy - from.
100 calories of snickers bars are not the same to your body as 100 calories of vegetables or lean meats. Sure you are getting 100 calories to burn for fuel, but the fact that you are ingesting so much sugar, chemicals and other low nutrient dense foodstuffs will starve out your other processes. In addition to our macro nutrients, we need micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, in order to really perform. The key is that it is QUALITY food over quantity. You get a lot more bang for your buck in nutrient dense foods than we do refined processed foods.
"So, how many carbohydrates, proteins and fats do I need to lose weight and make sure that I am getting enough micronutrients?"
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating within the following ranges:
Carbohydrates: 45-65% of calories
Fat: 20-35% of calories
Protein: 10-35% of calories
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for carbohydrates, which is 130 grams per day, is based upon the amount of carbohydrates (sugars and starches) required to fuel an adult’s brain, red blood cells and central nervous system. This is important because if we do not get enough carbohydrates from our diet, the body will break down protein (which it can turn into glucose) to maintain blood sugar levels and fuel the brain and red blood cells.
This also means that eating too much protein can actually cause the same glucose reactions as eating too much sugar since it is the one macronutrient that the body can use as a carbohydrate if needed. If the body is stealing the protein we eat for use as glucose to maintain our sugar levels, then it is not using it to repair or to grow our muscles. There is a cost to eating too low carb.
Here are some ratio examples of different dietary patterns which keep in the safe ranges of each, while allowing for you to find which works best for your individual needs. The more endurance work you do, i.e. running, triathlon, etc., the more carbohydrate focused you can be, and the more high intensity strength work you do (i.e. cross fit, etc.) the more fat adaptive you can become.
You may have to play around with the ratios to find what works for you and you may need to adjust as your activity levels change throughout the year. The key is to give it a chance to work for you, so I suggest sticking with a ratio for at least 3 weeks to 1 month to see the effects.
In health!
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