Understanding Nutrition
The new year can inspire some newfound energy and motivation to focus on healthier lifestyle habits. Nutrition is usually a big part of this. When looking to make changes in our diet however it is important to make sustainable choices to optimize your chances for success in your health goals. Setting intentions is all well and good, but it’s in doing the math and making a plan that we can actually create a system for change. This can feel overwhelming. In this article we will help you understand what you will need to do in order to optimize your nutrition and feel your best.
If the goal is fat loss, there are a few things we want to ensure we do not do when working toward this goal.
We do not want to overly restrict caloric intake, or any of the three macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates) that we need to function optimally.
To understand how to fuel our bodies properly, we need a basic understanding of the three macronutrients that make up what we consume. They are: protein, carbohydrates and fat.
Protein is a vital macronutrient necessary for various bodily functions. Generally, the recommended dietary allowance for protein is a minimum of 60 grams per day. This recommendation is based on the assumption of a sedentary lifestyle. However, individuals who are more physically active or are trying to build muscle may require more protein. For instance, athletes or those engaged in intense activities may need between 1.2 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. A good place to start would be to aim for 100g of protein per day if you are active or increasing activity levels. This target usually takes a concerted effort for most people starting out.
Protein plays a critical role in the body. It is essential for the repair and growth of tissues, the production of enzymes and hormones, and the functioning of the immune system. Additionally, protein helps maintain muscle mass, aids in satiety, and supports overall metabolic health. The main thing that you’ll notice in focusing on consuming protein is that it will keep you feeling fuller for longer, making it easier to avoid cravings.
Inadequate protein intake can lead to muscle loss, weakened immune function, and various health issues. Therefore, it is important for individuals to consume sufficient protein from a variety of sources, including both animal and plant-based proteins, to meet their nutritional needs. If you are struggling to meet your protein needs, here are some very helpful articles with ideas and sources.
The primary reason for carbohydrate intake is to provide energy. Glucose, derived from carbohydrates, is crucial as it is the body's preferred energy source, especially for the brain and muscles during physical activity. Additionally, dietary fiber, a form of complex carbohydrates, plays a significant role in digestive health, helping to regulate blood sugar levels and maintain a healthy weight. It is important to focus on high-quality carbohydrates, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, while limiting added sugars and refined grains. The recommended dietary allowance for carbohydrates is approximately 130 grams per day for adults. This amount is based on the minimum needed to supply adequate glucose for the brain, which relies heavily on carbohydrates for energy. Therefore it is understood that you will need more than the minimum RDA in order to carry out daily chores and exercise. This would look more like >180 grams per day depending on activity levels.
Carbohydrates are categorized into simple and complex forms. Simple carbohydrates include sugars found in fruits, milk, and sweeteners, while complex carbohydrates include starches and fiber found in whole grains, legumes, and vegetables.
Fat plays several important roles in the body, including:
Nutrient Absorption: Certain vitamins (A, D, E, and K) are fat-soluble, meaning that dietary fat is necessary for their absorption and transportation within the body.
Hormone Production: Fats are involved in the production of hormones, which are crucial for various bodily functions, including metabolism and reproductive health.
Cell Structure: Fats are important for building cell membranes and maintaining cell structure.
Generally, dietary guidelines suggest that fat should comprise about 20% to 35% of total daily calorie intake.
For an average adult consuming a 2,000-calorie diet, this translates to about 44 to 78 grams of fat per day. It is essential to consider the types of fats consumed; unsaturated fats (found in olive oil, avocados, and nuts) are beneficial, while trans and saturated fats (found in processed foods and fatty cuts of meat) should be limited.
And lastly caloric intake. You don't need to change your diet as much as you may think you do in order to see your body composition over time. It just takes consistency and discipline. To achieve fat loss, we need to create a calorie deficit, which means consuming fewer calories than the body expends. The number of calories required for fat loss varies based on several factors including age, sex, weight, height, and activity level.
The greater the calorie deficit, the harder it can be to sustain for the long term so aim for a deficit of 200-300 calories per day to start with and go from there. This assumes you know how many calories on average you are currently consuming. So we need to figure this out first.
Before we do that, let’s discuss those who want to gain mass in the form of muscle primarily. This entails not eating in a calorie deficit, but instead a sustainable surplus over time. The same guidelines we’ve talked about apply, you will just need to consume more calories above your TDEE and pair that with progressive resistance training in order to build muscle.
So, time for some math…
Calculate Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): BMR is the number of calories your body needs at rest to maintain vital functions.
For men: BMR = 10 * weight (kg) + 6.25 * height (cm) - 5 * age (years) + 5
For women: BMR = 10 * weight (kg) + 6.25 * height (cm) - 5 * age (years) - 161
Determine Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE): To find TDEE, multiply the BMR by an activity factor that represents your lifestyle:
Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR * 1.2
Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): BMR * 1.375
Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): BMR * 1.55
Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): BMR * 1.725
Super active (very hard exercise & a physical job): BMR * 1.9
Create a Caloric Deficit or Surplus: To lose weight, a common approach is to aim for a deficit of 250 to 500 calories per day, which can result in a loss of about .5 to1 pound per week. It is generally recommended that caloric intake not drop below 1,500 calories per day, especially for active people. This is not enough calories to support an active lifestyle and will become unsustainable and too limiting. If you want to gain mass, increase your calories by about the same amount.
Monitor and Adjust: Regularly assess your progress and adjust caloric intake or activity levels as needed. Individual results may vary, and it's important to tailor the approach to fit personal health needs and goals.
Here is a step-by-step process to follow in order to track your nutrition:
Figure out your stats. Calculate your BMR and your TDEE to understand how many calories you need on average to achieve your body composition goal and have enough energy for your daily tasks and exercise.
Decide on metrics to track your progress. It’s recommended to choose more than one of the following ways to measure your progress:
Quantitative measures:
Overall body weight *note that daily fluctuations are normal and to be expected, but tracking weekly will allow you to notice trends.
Measurements of key areas like waist and hips (include chest, arms and legs if you want - this is encouraged for muscle building goals)
Exercise performance (weight lifted, duration of cardio, recovery times from intense bouts of effort)
Qualitative measures:
Progress photos
A log of how you feel during exercise or sport and how well you are recovering
3. Use a nutrition tracking app to log everything you consume. It’s important to be accurate with your reporting. Most people who are unsuccessful with their body composition goals underreport what they consume.
The most accurate way to track is to weigh your food using a food scale. Keep one on the counter with a notepad right next to it to make it easy to remember and write down the numbers that you can later transfer to your app of choice.
Some apps we recommend:
MyFitnessPal (no cost)
Chronometer (no cost)
Carbon Diet Coach (monthly fee but has built-in coach)
4. Revise your ratios of proteins, carbs and fats. The most important number to hit consistently is protein. After that, you can play around with amounts of carbs and fats based on your preferences and needs.
5. Review and adjust your log weekly. To determine if you need to make any adjustments to your stats, you will need to assess your consistency and whether you are trending in the right direction with regards to your body composition goals.
Lastly, we’ll leave you with the message that all foods can be included in your nutrition plan. The point is to understand the expense that each food choice costs. Some foods are more calorically dense than others. You won’t always nail your numbers, but as long as you’re learning and trying again, this will be invaluable information and will serve you for the rest of your life. On that note, logging your food is not something you should aim to do forever. Dedicate a good chunk of time to doing it (30-100 days), learn from the process and then continue to apply what you’ve learned more intuitively without having to track everything. You can always come back to logging if you need a reset or your goals change.
Read more about our personal experience with food tracking in this article here.
If you’d like to learn more about nutrition, here are some of our top resources:
Stephanie Kay Nutrition - A nutritionist on a mission to change the way you look at food and teach you how to make real food work for real life in a realistic way.
Dr. Layne Norton - Learn from a PhD in Nutrition Sciences with short form videos on a variety of health topics. This is a guy who actually reads and deciphers all the latest nutrition research.