So, yesterday, I put a poll on my @jordynhnasko Instagram story that read:
“What do you think is more important in a diet for weight loss? Your macronutrient ratio or your calories in versus calories out?” The question got mixed responses and sparked a lot of great conversation in my DM’s from other trainers and fitness peeps... so here we are with a blog post!
The correct answer to my question is: Calories in versus Calories out.
Why? Because weight loss can ONLY happen if you are in a caloric deficit. Meaning you have to burn more calories than you take in, per day.
Precise macronutrient ratios don’t really matter in general for the average person (myself included). And they 100% don’t matter in weight loss. Plus, calculating the macronutrient component of every single piece of food that goes in to your mouth each day straight up sucks. Unless you are an elite athlete that needs to train multiple hours a day, recover, and perform; or you have a medical condition that requires a specific diet; or you are training for a bodybuilding or figure competition… your daily balance of carbs, fats, and proteins is essentially irrelevant.
To everyone that answered “macros” and is about to be up in arms reading this, let me finish. Weight loss only happens in a calorie deficit, but macronutrients do have their role. For the average person, your macro ratio comes into play when you are trying to maintain muscle mass and lose fat/weight at the same time. Aka “tone up” or “get shredded.” This is what like 95% of my clients come to me looking for, so I have gotten really good at responding to this request and explaining it as simply as I can.
If you are a little confused, understand this: weight loss is one thing, building and/or maintaining muscle is another. If you are trying to lose weight, we need to make sure you are in a sustainable caloric deficit. This is done by first, finding out how much you are burning each day by calculating your basal metabolic rate (see more about this below). If you are trying to change your body composition and look leaner, while you are losing weight, we need to make sure that we are preserving your muscle. This is done by making sure that your daily protein intake is anywhere from 0.6 - 1 grams of protein per day. And that's it! Calories and protein. As long as you are hitting your calorie goals, eating the appropriate amount of protein for your body, and being consistent in your strength training workouts, you will see some noticeable results. This means you can eat some of your favorite foods, and eat more carbs some days and more fats on others, as long as you stay within your total calorie range. Tracking your calories and your protein consumption still takes a little bit of effort, but it's a LOT less rigid than tracking a specific macronutrient breakdown. And also a lot more realistic than macro tracking for most people short- and long-term.
So what is The “Magic” Formula?
1. Strength train regularly (at least 3 days a week) for 30+ minutes, hitting all the major muscle groups at least once.
2. Calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate) to find out how many calories you actually need daily. You can use this calculator to find out yours in like 60 seconds.
3. Knowing your BMR, you need to create a caloric deficit for yourself by either eating less (diet) or by increasing your calories out (cardio workouts and daily activities). A safe calorie deficit is anywhere from 200-500 calories per day. If you are just starting out, meaning like, today you are deciding you want to go into a deficit, start slow. Start with 200 cals per day for a week or two and slowly start to increase that number. Your body will respond way better to that incremental decrease and the change won't feel as drastic.
4. Eat 0.6 to 1 gram of protein per pound of your body weight. So if you weigh 150 lbs, your daily protein goal would be between 90 - 150 g per day. Try your best to have this come from natural sources, but supplement with a high-quality protein powder if needed!
5. Stick close to nature when choosing your food. You can eat junk and still lose weight if you do steps 1-4. But paying attention to the quality of your food will benefit your health in the long-term AND you will feel better.
I hope all this helps! But if you are still confused by any of this information, or if you are looking for more hands on help in making a lifestyle change, send me a message and we can discuss my online coaching options!
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