fat, carbs, protein... how much?
The first thing to remember in the world of nutrition is that all calories are not created equal. I'll divide them here into three groups of macronutrients: fat, carbs, and protein. One gram of fat has 9 calories, while one gram of carbs about 4. A few pieces of fried chicken equals a truckload of steamed vegetables in terms of caloric value.
Fat is most obviously found in the form of butter and oils, but check labels for hidden fats. F'rinstance in terms of fish, salmon is much higher in fat than the noble tuna (though oily fish have good omega-3 fats). "Low-fat" written on a box of cookies does not mean that it is the equivalent of a carrot stick. Often manufacturers will make serving sizes ridiculously small to limbo under that low-fat bar. In addition, low-fat or not, certain snacks are still high in calories and sugar. One type of fat that you do need in your diet is that from the essential fatty acid (EFA) category. Flax seed oil is the best known example of this kind of fat. There is evidence that this kind of oil is not stored as fat but rather released thermogenically—the eggheads are still trying to figure out exactly how. 1-3 tablespoons of flax seed oil daily will give you your EFA requirement.
Good sources of protein include skinless chicken breasts, fish, cottage cheese, egg whites (cook them first, please!), lean cuts of beef. Vegetable proteins are not as good since they are not complete proteins. If you must be a vegetarian, have legumes and grains together (not necessarily at the same meal), since when eaten in conjunction they form a complete protein. More on protein
Carbs (think of these as sugars and starches) are such things as pasta, grains, breads, fruit and vegetables. Try to avoid processed foods and sugars---like "low-fat" snack foods, white bread, pasta, etc.---and choose more complex fibrous carbs instead, like whole grain cereals/breads, fruit and vegetables. More on carbs
When thinking about modifying your nutrition habits, you must first define what your goals are at the moment. Are you trying to lose bodyfat? Are you trying to gain muscle? These two things are often at cross-purposes, so don't try to do everything at once.
What's low-fat? Your body needs fat to carry out its daily tasks. As I mentioned, the body requires some EFA intake. The minimum amount of fat needed for metabolic activity is around 4-5% of daily caloric intake. However, if you go that low you will probably find that you have as much energy as a snail in molasses. The standard government recommendation is around 30% of calories from fat. This means that in an 1800 calorie day, 60 grams of fat are allowed. More on fat
In general the ratio for strength training and fat loss is roughly the same, about 30% fat, 30% protein, and 40% carbs; however for fat loss, many people have good results when they cut their carbs down even more, to less than 100 grams per day. Find what works for you. Keep track of how you feel when you eat a certain way. Do you have lots of energy throughout the day? Can you finish a hard workout? Are you losing bodyfat, if that's your goal? Your proper intake may take a little tinkering at first. If you are getting into heavy training, you can keep a relatively higher carb intake.
In terms of your eating habits, it is best to eat small meals 5-6 times daily. This is good for both gaining muscle and losing bodyfat, since it keeps your metabolism constantly running high, and eliminates the "sugar shakes" of hunger which can send you running to the candy machine at 3 p.m.
diet as lifestyle
Right now I want you to take every diet book and Nutri-System/Jenny Craig/Slimfast product you have and throw it out the window. Then run downstairs and light them on fire just to make sure. Pretend you are cleansing the world of demon spawn.
Just like we don't say the word "tone" any more, neither do we say "diet". Research shows that 95% of dieters gain all the weight back, often with interest, in three years. In other words, diets---as in drastic short-term caloric reduction---don't work in the long run. When you deprive it of food, your body thinks it's starving. So it slows down metabolic rate to conserve resources. When you begin eating normally again after a period of fasting, your body continues to idle at a lower rate and so you don't burn calories as quickly. Result? Bodyfat returns, often bringing extra luggage for its stay.
Although we can learn from bodybuilders, because of all people they know about losing fat and keeping muscle, a beginner need not concern themselves with the stringent diets of competitive bodybuilders. Competitive bodybuilders are notoriously awful for abusing their body, and what you don't see after the lights go down on their ripped bodies is the sometimes drastic off-season weight gain, fainting in the parking lot, zombie-eyed lack of energy from caloric deprivation, disordered eating, iron deficiency anemia, amennorrhea (cessation of menstruation), premature osteoporosis, and depressed immune system. If you want to compete, go ahead and buy your Ketostix (plus some multivitamins--- you'll need 'em!). But if you're a beginner who is working out just to be fit and healthy, don't diet. Keto-fans, don't bother sending me hate mail---I'm not saying that ketogenic diets don't work (they do work), only that few people, particularly those just starting out, have the discipline and inclination to engage in such strict food limitation. However, ketogenic diets can be quite effective if done by the right people for the right reasons.
So what does work? Long-term eating modification; in other words, lifestyle change. Small changes made in permanent eating habits can have big long-term effects. Gradually cutting back on portion sizes. Switching to skim milk. Not eating at Burger King for lunch (one Whopper has around 1000 calories!). Think in terms of lifelong eating patterns. Can you face living on the grapefruit diet for the next 60 years?
You can achieve long-term fat loss from a reduced caloric intake provided you don't drop your calories too low for too long, and that it is combined with resistance training.
The first thing to remember in the world of nutrition is that all calories are not created equal. I'll divide them here into three groups of macronutrients: fat, carbs, and protein. One gram of fat has 9 calories, while one gram of carbs about 4. A few pieces of fried chicken equals a truckload of steamed vegetables in terms of caloric value.
Fat is most obviously found in the form of butter and oils, but check labels for hidden fats. F'rinstance in terms of fish, salmon is much higher in fat than the noble tuna (though oily fish have good omega-3 fats). "Low-fat" written on a box of cookies does not mean that it is the equivalent of a carrot stick. Often manufacturers will make serving sizes ridiculously small to limbo under that low-fat bar. In addition, low-fat or not, certain snacks are still high in calories and sugar. One type of fat that you do need in your diet is that from the essential fatty acid (EFA) category. Flax seed oil is the best known example of this kind of fat. There is evidence that this kind of oil is not stored as fat but rather released thermogenically—the eggheads are still trying to figure out exactly how. 1-3 tablespoons of flax seed oil daily will give you your EFA requirement.
Good sources of protein include skinless chicken breasts, fish, cottage cheese, egg whites (cook them first, please!), lean cuts of beef. Vegetable proteins are not as good since they are not complete proteins. If you must be a vegetarian, have legumes and grains together (not necessarily at the same meal), since when eaten in conjunction they form a complete protein. More on protein
Carbs (think of these as sugars and starches) are such things as pasta, grains, breads, fruit and vegetables. Try to avoid processed foods and sugars---like "low-fat" snack foods, white bread, pasta, etc.---and choose more complex fibrous carbs instead, like whole grain cereals/breads, fruit and vegetables. More on carbs
When thinking about modifying your nutrition habits, you must first define what your goals are at the moment. Are you trying to lose bodyfat? Are you trying to gain muscle? These two things are often at cross-purposes, so don't try to do everything at once.
What's low-fat? Your body needs fat to carry out its daily tasks. As I mentioned, the body requires some EFA intake. The minimum amount of fat needed for metabolic activity is around 4-5% of daily caloric intake. However, if you go that low you will probably find that you have as much energy as a snail in molasses. The standard government recommendation is around 30% of calories from fat. This means that in an 1800 calorie day, 60 grams of fat are allowed. More on fat
In general the ratio for strength training and fat loss is roughly the same, about 30% fat, 30% protein, and 40% carbs; however for fat loss, many people have good results when they cut their carbs down even more, to less than 100 grams per day. Find what works for you. Keep track of how you feel when you eat a certain way. Do you have lots of energy throughout the day? Can you finish a hard workout? Are you losing bodyfat, if that's your goal? Your proper intake may take a little tinkering at first. If you are getting into heavy training, you can keep a relatively higher carb intake.
In terms of your eating habits, it is best to eat small meals 5-6 times daily. This is good for both gaining muscle and losing bodyfat, since it keeps your metabolism constantly running high, and eliminates the "sugar shakes" of hunger which can send you running to the candy machine at 3 p.m.
diet as lifestyle
Right now I want you to take every diet book and Nutri-System/Jenny Craig/Slimfast product you have and throw it out the window. Then run downstairs and light them on fire just to make sure. Pretend you are cleansing the world of demon spawn.
Just like we don't say the word "tone" any more, neither do we say "diet". Research shows that 95% of dieters gain all the weight back, often with interest, in three years. In other words, diets---as in drastic short-term caloric reduction---don't work in the long run. When you deprive it of food, your body thinks it's starving. So it slows down metabolic rate to conserve resources. When you begin eating normally again after a period of fasting, your body continues to idle at a lower rate and so you don't burn calories as quickly. Result? Bodyfat returns, often bringing extra luggage for its stay.
Although we can learn from bodybuilders, because of all people they know about losing fat and keeping muscle, a beginner need not concern themselves with the stringent diets of competitive bodybuilders. Competitive bodybuilders are notoriously awful for abusing their body, and what you don't see after the lights go down on their ripped bodies is the sometimes drastic off-season weight gain, fainting in the parking lot, zombie-eyed lack of energy from caloric deprivation, disordered eating, iron deficiency anemia, amennorrhea (cessation of menstruation), premature osteoporosis, and depressed immune system. If you want to compete, go ahead and buy your Ketostix (plus some multivitamins--- you'll need 'em!). But if you're a beginner who is working out just to be fit and healthy, don't diet. Keto-fans, don't bother sending me hate mail---I'm not saying that ketogenic diets don't work (they do work), only that few people, particularly those just starting out, have the discipline and inclination to engage in such strict food limitation. However, ketogenic diets can be quite effective if done by the right people for the right reasons.
So what does work? Long-term eating modification; in other words, lifestyle change. Small changes made in permanent eating habits can have big long-term effects. Gradually cutting back on portion sizes. Switching to skim milk. Not eating at Burger King for lunch (one Whopper has around 1000 calories!). Think in terms of lifelong eating patterns. Can you face living on the grapefruit diet for the next 60 years?
You can achieve long-term fat loss from a reduced caloric intake provided you don't drop your calories too low for too long, and that it is combined with resistance training.
