 What we use to fuel our bodies can either enhance all our fitness efforts in order to help us achieve our body composition goals, or it can render all our hard work redundant. In-depth nutrition analyses can get complicated, even confusing, so here is an overview of the basics you need to know to get started. *All nutritional and fitness info must be discussed with your doctor before any changes to diet or exercise regime are implemented. Calorie Surplus vs Calorie Deficit We all know that it takes a calorie deficit in order to lose body fat, and a calorie surplus in order to build muscle; so how much of each of these do you need in order to achieve your goal? Goal: Fat Loss If your only goal is to lose body fat then your goal should be to create a calorie deficit great enough to lose an average of 1-2lbs per week. If you have a lot to lose then you could go higher than 2lbs a week, however 1-2lbs/wk is a safe rate of weight loss which will be sustainable long term. Going much higher than this will also put you at risk of losing muscle mass. How do you calculate your calories needed in order to lose the 1-2lbs/wk? In order to determine your daily caloric need, you need to:
   
(Images adapted from Shaw Academy: Advanced Sports Nutrition)
There are many online calculators you can use in order to establish your daily calorie needs; they all use one, or variations of the above equations and are generally a lot easier than manual calculations. This is one of my favourite online calculators as you can switch between formulas and even enter your body fat % if you know it (see Advanced options). If not, the Mifflin-St.Joer formula has been shown to be slightly more accurate if you are sedentary and/or overweight, however can predict slightly under calories if you are active and have a higher level of muscle mass (so choose Harris-Benedict). Use this as a starting point for your weight loss, and adjust as needed. If you are losing more than 2lbs/wk add an extra 200 calories to your post workout shake (0.5 scoop protein powder + 1 cup blueberries). If you are not losing at least the 1-1.5lbs / week, remove 200 calories (not around your workout), or conversely, add some additional time and/or intensity to your workout. Goal: Gain Muscle So how many additional calories exactly do you need in order to gain muscle mass? Unfortunately this answer will be different for everyone. Each person will use the fuel given to their body differently, due to many different factors (insulin sensitivity/resistance, body composition, day jobs, lifestyles etc.), so again, you will need to play around with numbers. A good place to start would be to add 300 calories to your current pre and post workout nutritional plan. If after a month you are seeing no change, bump it up an additional 200 calories. Gaining muscle without gaining a lot of body fat is a fine line so you will need to be aware of your body composition changes; if you are not able to have your body comp checked regularly (body fat % vs lean body mass) then a great way to track is to take weekly photos. Using the photo comparisons from week to week will make any body changes much more obvious and visible. Goal: Gain Muscle & Lose Body Fat This is the holy grail of body composition changes; most people fall in this category and struggle to find the balance where they can achieve both. Some people say that it isn’t possible, that you should concentrate on either one or the other, ie. Gain muscle – and some body fat – in the “off season” (winter!) and then concentrate on leaning out for the “season”, ie. Summer or for contest prep etc, or focus first on fat loss and once this is achieved work on gaining muscle mass. However, with some trial and error it should be possible for most people, at least at the beginning. Start with the same calculation shown above for weight loss and go from there. Sticking to the weight loss calorie deficit while ensuring proper pre and post workout nutrition should help you achieve both goals. Pre workout nutrition needs will again vary by person; fasted workouts might be beneficial if you have a lot of fat to lose, however consuming protein only (20-30g) could also help you achieve both goals (read more: Fasted Cardio: Is there a better way?). And there is of course the traditional body builder pre workout choice of both carbs and protein; while this is - for most people - the most beneficial in regards to gaining muscle, my personal choice to achieve both fat loss and muscle gains is protein-only pre workout. Post workout nutrition is easier; while the anabolic window is a much-debated issue, many, many studies have shown how beneficial it is to consume both carbohydrates and proteins post workout; this combination will help slow the catabolism (breaking down) of your muscles, as well as kick start the anabolic (building up) process of protein synthesis in order to repair and build your muscles. Aim for a ration of 2:1 ratio of grams of carbs to protein, and stick to between 200-300 calories. After a month, analyse your results and adjust, more calories (pre/post workout) to speed up muscle growth – but potentially slow down fat loss – or less calories (without touching pre/post workout) to speed up fat loss. Protein So how much protein exactly do we need? Opinions on this differ greatly, however almost everyone agrees that the RDA of 0.8grams/kg (about 0.36/lb) of body weight is way too low for an active adult, especially one who weight trains. After this, opinions range from 0.75g/lb of body weight, all the way up to 2g/lb, but everyone agrees that protein is important. A good place to start would be around 1g/lb of total body weight; therefore, if you weight 140lbs, you would aim for around 140g of protein daily. Spread this out throughout the day in order to keep the protein synthesis in your body constant. Protein has also been shown to be the most satiating (vs carbs and fat) so consuming plenty of protein will help you feel full for longer. Carbohydrates Carbs can be confusing; some say avoid carbs like the plague, some say load up on carbs to fuel your workouts and fill your muscles. Which is right for you? Again, trial and error may come into play here. Carbo-hydrates are called that for a reason; for every gram of carbohydrate it takes 3-4 grams of water to store it and process it within your body. Ergo, lowering carbs will lead to water loss, equating in a weight loss on the scale. Most people report that they also feel the decrease of water as an overall decrease in puffiness; their fat will still be there, but it feels firmer. However, it is still there. Actual fat loss can be achieved by lowering carbs, as often the high calorie carbohydrate is replaced by a lower calorie equivalent, i.e. Pasta for broccoli, rice for cauliflower-rice. This is common when someone switches to a gluten-free diet; it often not the lack of gluten that is causing the weight loss, rather cutting out the high calorie carbs. If carbs are consumed carefully however, they can be used to fuel your workouts and help you build muscle. As we consume carbs they are converted to glycogen and stored in our liver, muscles, and if there are any left over, in our fat cells. When we exercise, our muscles use the glycogen stored within our muscles and needs to be replaced. So how do we replace the glycogen? Consuming carbs in this glycogen depleted state means that they will be converted into glucose (sugar) and stored as glycogen in our muscles, ready to fuel our next workout. However, consume carbs after our muscles have been restocked with glycogen and the glucose will be more likely to be stored in our fat cells. So how many grams of carbs do we need to keep glycogen levels optimal? Again, this will vary from person to person, depending on many factors, including the intensity of our workouts. A good starting point would be to aim for 2g of carbs per goal body weight, consuming around 40% of these carbs post workout. Limiting carb intake for the remainder of the day will help ensure that there is less excess glucose to be stored in our fat cells. If, after a month of adaptation you feel lacking in energy try increasing carb intake slowly, while still keeping around 40-50% post workout. Fats For most people this one seems easy; we limit the bad fats, and eat the good fats, right? But just like proteins and carbs, this one can also be tricky! For starters, what is a bad fat and what is a good fat? For years saturated fat has been vilified, taking butter, cheese, bacon, eggs and full fat yogurt off the table. This was based upon studies in the 1950s showing that countries that consumed a lot of saturated fat had higher rates of deaths from heart disease. Since then, numerous studies have found no link between saturated fat and heart disease. Butter in fact has some great qualities, including a healthy ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids and “good” HDL cholesterol, plus it is rich in fat soluble vitamins such as A, E and K2. Purchasing your butter from grass-fed (or even better, grass-finished) cows can actually help reduce your chances of heart attacks due to the conjugated linoleic acid it contains. It also contains a higher percentage of Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCT), a specific form of saturated fat that has been linked to heart and brain health. Coconut oil is also high in saturated fat than butter – 84% of calories from sat fat vs butter at 63% of calories from sat fat, but no one questions anymore if it is good for you! However, it too is high in MCTs making it a more heart-healthy choice. And butter is just the tip of the saturated-fat-can-be-good-for-you iceberg; don’t even get me started on eggs! While there are numerous studies stating both the wonders and pitfalls of eggs, the proof for me when I recently did my blood tests. I eat an average of about 10 eggs a week, and my doctor stated that my cholesterol levels results (HDL 2.47, LDL 1.58, and total cholesterol 1.7) were one of the best she has ever seen. And then there’s the good fats that are low in saturated fat: olive oil, avocados and nuts, to name a few. So load up on them, right? However, fats are energy dense and they contain the highest calories/gram, at 9 calories/gram vs. protein and carbs which are both at 4 calories/gram. So while it is important to get some of these good fats in our diet, watch the portions, eat only 2-3 kinds each day, and vary them throughout the week, ensuring that some are saturated fats, and some are unsaturated. Saturated fats should comprise no more than 10% of your total calorie intake, and the remainder of your fats should be unsaturated.* *please discuss with your doctor to ensure that this ratio is right for you given your family history etc. While EVOO has numerous health benefits, often the EVOO is actually cut with other inferior oils; in the US, 186 samples were studied, and only 27% of them met the FDA regulations, the rest were cut with inferior oils. Good news however for all of us Costco shoppers, the Kirkland Signature EVOO based this tester’s scrutiny. EVOO also has a low smoke point, so if you are cooking with it make sure to keep the heat low enough so it doesn’t “smoke”; once it starts to smoke a lot of the health benefits have disappeared. Use it to drizzle – sparingly! – on your salads and veggies, and use a higher smoke point oil such as avocado oil to sauté your food. In order to keep your fat calories around 100 per portion, use this guide: Almonds: 16g, 92 cal, 8g/fat Avocado: 60g, 100 cal, 9g/fat Butter, grass fed: 1bsp, 100 cal, 11g/fat Coconut oil: 0.75 tbsp, 105 cal, 11g/fat EVOO: 0.75 tbsp, 90 cal, 11g/fat Mozzarella: 60g, 99 cal, 5g/fat Peanut butter (natural): 1bsp, 90 cal, 7g/fat Carbs and fats together The main reason that fats can cause weight gain – other than portion control – is eating them together with carbohydrates, especially high-glycemic-load, white, sugary carbs. Simply put, when we eat sugary carbs combined with fats (think muffins, granola bars, white bread grilled cheese etc.) the insulin spike created by the simple carbs will cause the fat consumed with them to be stored as fat (read more: Insulin: Friend or Foe?). To mitigate this effect, make sure that you are eating only whole grain, low sugar carbs, or perhaps even eat them in a different meal than your fats. Macros Putting it all together; how much proteins, carbohydrates and fats do we eat? The % breakdown – the macros – will vary based upon individual’s goals, as well as differences such as carb tolerance (insulin sensitivity), muscle mass, lifestyle etc. Putting aside individual dietary choices and/or needs such as vegetarianism, paleo, keto, gluten free etc. the majority of the macro decision will be determined by your goals. Weight loss: A high protein, moderate fat and lower carb, approach is generally best for fat loss. As your carbs are low it will be necessary for your body to get enough fuel energy from fat sources, so be sure to eat plenty of “good” fats. Be cautioned however than many fat sources also contain carbs, such as dairy and nuts, and that vegetables are a source of carbohydrates. Protein is necessary to maintain muscle so be sure to get enough protein from a variety of sources, such as animal protein, eggs, beans and legumes, dairy and nuts. Animal sources are complete proteins (containing all 21 amino acids), however non-animal sources are not (with a few exceptions), so if you are not consuming animal protein be sure to vary your protein sources to ensure you are getting all of your amino acids. An ideal macro breakdown to aim for would be around: 25% carbs, 35% fats, 45% protein Build muscle: A traditional body-builder’s diet of higher carbs can be very effective for building muscle mass. As the carbs are high, the fat must be lower in order to not gain too much fat (read more Insulin: Friend or Foe?) and protein remains important to help build the muscles. Be sure to keep your carbs “clean”; dirty-bulking might result in some muscle gains, but it will be sure to also result in fat gain! Rice, (white and brown), potatoes (white and sweet), whole sprouted grains, beans and legumes, and lots of vegetables will be key to this plan. Be sure to get enough protein from a variety of sources, such as animal protein, eggs, beans and legumes, dairy and nuts, plus protein powder will often be essential to meet your protein goals. Aim for 50-55% carbs, 20-25% fat, 25-30% protein Planning and Tracking People often say to me “I don’t understand why I am not losing/gaining weight, I am watching what I eat”. The problem is that there is a huge difference between “watching what you eat” and planning, and tracking what you eat. The most important part is the planning; planning in advance what you will eat on a given day gives you a roadmap to follow, and without this roadmap you will most likely not reach your destination. Once you have your total calories, macros and pre and post nutrition needs determined you can start to plan your food intake. I use an online calorie tracker, such as My Fitness Pal to help me plan ahead; plugging in my planned food for the day helps me figure out if I am hitting all my targets. It does take some time to enter all your food for the day, including figuring out accurate weights for each item, however once you get started it takes only a few minutes to plan your day ahead. I am a creature of habit so I eat relatively the same thing each day so I plan once and eat off this plan until my goals change. If I eat something not on the plan I can go in and add it, and then adjust items later in the day. That way I know I am staying on track. In the beginning you will need to pay careful attention to portion sizes; weighing food before you cook it is important, and be wary of additional items that are not in your plan ie. Oil used for cooking and sauces etc. After a while you will become more and more familiar with portion sizes and will not need to weigh everything. One of my personal hacks is to plan around 200 calories less than I actually wish to consume, knowing I will have some unintentional additions, as well as the occasional bite of my kids leftovers etc! *All nutritional and fitness info must be discussed with your doctor before any changes to diet or exercise regime are implemented. Change nothing and nothing will change; without change, there can be no progress! Related articles: Our Metabolism: Can we change it? Insulin: Friend or Foe? Fasted Cardio: Is there a better way? The Ketogenic Diet: The Concept, Benefits, and Drawbacks  |
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