When eating to achieve any goal there are some basic rules to follow, these are not as myriad or complex as many forms of popular media would have you believe. You also don’t need to take supplements, although they can speed you toward your goals. Although I don’t really cover supplements in this article, I will in the future.
The first thing to look at is calorie intake. These little ruiners if you eat too many will put fat on your body, eat too little and you will face two problems; the first is not having enough energy for your training and the second is that your body will not heal properly without the resources.
So what is a calorie? It is simply putting a unit of measurement. 1 calorie is the energy needed to raise 1 ml of water 1 degree. We need these calories to provide the body with energy and they come from three sources: fat, carbohydrates and protein. Contrary to popular belief/media, there are no such things as bad calories (except maybe the ones from TRANS-processed fat and sugar which I will talk about in future articles). Each calorie source has a different caloric value.
1 gram of protein = 4 calories
1 gram of Carbohydrates = 4 calories
1 gram of fat = 9 calories
Another thing to keep in mind when going out on a Friday night is alcohol, a source of what is known as an empty calorie, which is a calorie with no nutritional value to the body. 1 gram of alcohol carries 7 calories.
Understanding Calories in a Different Way To lose 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of weight in 30 days, we would need to reduce our intake by around 200 calories. Now notice I said weight and not fat, the body won’t discriminate where it gets weight from so it could be fat or muscle, the latter of which is undesirable. If the average man consumes about 2,500 calories a day to maintain his correct weight, an adjustment of more than 200 calories will also give him a weight gain of about 5 pounds. Depending on the level of activity and the type, it will mean a gain of fat or muscle.
The composition of your diet has a big effect on the type of weight you gain or lose. More fat will mean you don’t get the lean, muscular look most are looking for. To many carbohydrates and you will have the same effect. Too much protein will lead to the body’s inability to break down energy properly and many will suffer from headaches, skin problems, possible liver problems, etc… I have found through research and trial and error that the best effects are from a calorie breakdown of 50% Carbohydrates, 30% Protein and 20% Fat. For the intake of 2500 calories it would mean
Carbs 50% – which is 2500*0.5 = 1250 calories or 1250/4 = 313 grams
Protein 30% – that is 2500*0.3 = 750 calories or 750/4 = 188 grams
Fat 20% – which is 2500*0.2 = 500 calories or 500/9 = 56 grams
A few rules to follow with this breakdown and that is: remember to vary your protein sources. Avoid trans fats (especially margarines) and too much meat. Avoid foods with high levels of sugar. Also keep in mind that your calorie count actually adds up to a weekly amount, so don’t worry if you eat a little too much or too little in one day, compare it throughout the week. The idea is that if you have a calorie goal of, say, 2,200 calories per day, that gives you a weekly allowance of 15,400 calories. So if you eat 100 calories in excess on Wednesday and eat 100 fewer on Saturday, you’ve essentially balanced it out.
Remember to keep your body hydrated with water; this is between 1.5 liters and 3 liters per day, depending on the need and the level of activity. I’m afraid this doesn’t even out throughout the week! Water is very important as it removes toxins from the system and helps keep the blood renewed, as well as helping with hormonal balance and oxygen supply to the muscles. Remember that in large part we are bags of water!
In essence, that covers what we call macronutrients, namely water, fat, carbohydrates, and protein. If we make small changes over weeks in the way we see and wear them, we will create a sustainable lifestyle change that will take care of us and give us the optimal performance of our bodies. Remember you wouldn’t fuel a supercar with substandard fuel, and your body is a supercar that lasts potentially over a hundred years.
Remember that this is a very general guide and you should speak with an appropriately qualified nutritional advisor or help you based on your specific needs.