The Nuts and Bolts of Macronutrients

My friend Amberly left a comment today asking about macros (macro nutrients).  I realized that I probably should have started this blog off with a post about macro nutrients because you really have to understand them before you can begin to eat "intentionally".  You have to know what you should eat and when you should eat it (we'll get into nutrient timing later).  So, here's a simple macro nutrient breakdown that I stole from fitday.com. 

The 3 macro nutrients are protein, fat, and carbohydrates all perform essential roles in the human body. Macro nutrients are the main components of our diet. Our bodies require others nutrients as well, such as vitamins and minerals. However, these are needed in much smaller quantities, and thus are referred to as micronutrients. All three macronutrients are needed in the diet, as each perform vital functions in the body.

1. Protein

 Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. They are linked together in complex formations. There are 20 different amino acids, 9 of which are considered essential because our bodies cannot produce them naturally, and therefore they must be obtained through the diet. Proteins that contain all 20 amino acids are called complete proteins. Complete proteins are found in animal products such as meat, eggs and milk.

Proteins crucial role in the body includes building, maintaining and repairing body tissue. It is especially important to physically active individuals whose muscle tissue is constantly in need of repair. Protein has other roles in the body. All enzymes and hormones, which perform vital functions, are proteins. In addition, proteins are used to aid in the immune process.

2. Fat

The misconception about fat is that it is always bad for you. In fact, fat is essential for maintaining a healthy body. Your diet should consist of about 20 percent fat. The trick is to eat more of the good fats and less of the bad fats. Saturated and trans fats should be avoided while increases levels of unsaturated and the essential fatty acids, such as omega 3 and omega 6, can be good for you. Replacing sweets and high fat meats with foods such as nuts, avocados, and olive oil will help shift the balance away from unhealthy towards those fats that are useful to the body.

Fat has many roles in the human body. One of fats main functions is protection. This includes insulation to keep body temperature and cushioning to protect body organs. It also promotes growth and development, as well as maintaining cell membranes. Fat, in addition, plays a vital role in the digestion of vitamins. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble vitamins, meaning they need fat in order to be absorbed into the body.

3. Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the main energy source of the body. They are chains of small, simple sugars that are broken down and enter the body as glucose. Glucose is essential for the body, as it is the preferred source of energy in our brain, heart and central nervous system. For this reason, your diet should consist of at least 45 to 65 percent carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are found in many foods. However, you should stay away from sweet foods with excess sugar. Instead, opt for healthier options like fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts, as well as whole grains. These foods also contain fiber. Fiber cannot be digested by you body. However, fiber aids our intestine in expelling waste and can help lower cholesterol.

So, the next step is figuring out how much of each of these you need.  A good place to start is here.  There's a program that will help you calculate how many calories you need every day, and the percentages of calories that should come from carbs, fats, and proteins.  Depending on what your goals are, it may or may not be important to stick to these numbers religiously.  For me, it was extremely important.  I wanted to make very specific changes to my body, one of which included ADDING lean mass.  That required me to slowly increase the amount of calories I was eating every week in addition to increasing the intensity of my workouts.  I HAD to stay in a caloric surplus in order to gain mass.  I went from eating about 1350 calories/day, to eating about 2300 calories/day over the span of about 2 months.  I find now that if I eat any less than 2000 calories/day I don't have the energy I need to get through my workouts (I'm 5'1", so that's a LOT of food).  At some point I'll probably want to gain some more muscle, but right now I'm happy to maintain.  Gaining muscle is HARD and I'm having surgery in a few weeks (don't worry, nothing major), so I won't be able to push myself very hard in the coming months.  Seriously though, I still can't believe how different my body looks than it did 6 months ago.  You CAN change your physique.  With the right kind of workouts combined with the right diet and correct nutrient timing, you'll be amazed at what you can do.

Just to give you an idea of what a correctly planned out diet should look like, I want to show you my meal plan from about a month ago.  I was eating about 2000 calories/day at this point.  Unfortunately my scanner is from the dinosaur age, so you'll have to settle with a snap shot from my cell phone.

My amazing fitness/nutrition guru, the lovely Kat Morrill (she's not quite that tan and greasy in real life - she IS that ripped though) over at Total Health and Fitness put together my meal plans and workout routines.  I can't say enough good things about her.  She is hands down the most knowledgeable person I've ever met in this industry, and definitely the most talented.  She literally changed the way I look at diet and fitness.  I mean, I guess I had all the pieces of the nutrition puzzle, but I had been putting them together wrong for a long time.  She also helped me realize how much I miss working in the health/fitness arena (more on that soon).

Hopefully this post has given you a starting point with your diet.  One thing I've learned for sure is that the progress you make or don't make in terms of changing your body composition are DIRECTLY correlated with how strictly you adhere to your diet plan.  I can honestly say that you'll get out of it what you put into it.  Don't be that person who's always looking for an easy way out or a quick fix.  There isn't one.  I promise.  Getting fit and healthy only happens with commitment and consistency.

*For those of you who live in Utah (sandy/draper area), my gal Kat is opening her own studio in a few weeks.  It's going to be absolutely amazing!  Her focus will be strength and metabolic classes (HIIT, TRX, weight lifting, power yoga, etc.).  I'll post more info asap.  You can also contact me by email (annielewis@mac.com) if you want info about her personal nutrition/fitness consultations.