Eating the right foods in the right amounts are your two most important factors no matter what your goals are.
So what should I eat?
Whole, minimally processed, nutrient rich foods
If you're not too sure what this means then simply look at your plate or shopping basket and ask yourself was this picked, plucked, hunted or gathered?!
Is anything picked, plucked, hunted or gathered here? ...Didn't think so.
Another great way of qualifying healthy foods is how quickly they go off.
Foods that go off are often packed with enzymes your body can use to absorb nutrients. Conversely, if food doesn't go off quickly, it's probably full of additives and preservatives which makes nutrients difficult for the body to break down and absorb. In the long run, eating this way is going to save you thousands of dollars in health related issues/medical bills.
Don’t stress about certain diets like gluten free or organic if you cant afford them. There are plenty of health benefits from eating whole, minimally processed and nutrient rich foods from your local supermarket as well.
But whats in my food?
The food we eat can be split into 3 different categories termed macronutrients (“macros” for short).
These consist of:
- Proteins: Your building blocks. Important for growth, tissue repair, immune function and preserving/building muscle mass.
- Carbohydrates: Your energy source. Important for providing energy to all the bodies major organs and systems.
- Fats: Your protection. Important for building and maintaining your cells, absorbing vitamins and protecting your vital organs.
Here's some examples!
Now I'm sure you have heard of diets that exclude or increase certain macro nutrients like “low carb diets”, “low fat diets” or “high protein diets” - but truth is, 99% of us would benefit greatly from a balanced/adequate amount of all of the macro nutrients in our diets.
Protein helps you feel fuller which can aid weight loss and you can eat lots of it without any major health risks. Carbs are great and not eating them just makes reaching your goals harder and unhealthy, especially if you’re exercising regularly. Fats will help you regulate hormone levels and keep you healthy and strong!
What about my vitamins and minerals?
Eating whole, minimally processed, nutrient rich foods that include lots of different coloured vegetables and fruits will see your vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) take care of themselves - simple as that
Being deficient in Vitamin D is one area you might want to keep an eye on - especially in winter when we are exposed to less sunlight.
When do I eat?
When you feel like it!
Worry more about what you eat, not when. Spread out your meals in a way that suits your lifestyle and don't bother eating more frequently to “stroke the metabolic fire” - it doesn't really work.
"The first law of nutrient timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing. The second law of nutrient timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing." - Alan Aragon
How much do I eat?
The food you eat is your bodies main source of energy.
Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another.
This means if you consume more energy than your body requires, the excess energy will be stored as body fat. On the other hand, when you consume less energy than your body requires, body fat is used to make up for the shortage.
The most commonly used way to measure this energy is in “calories”. To find out how many calories we need, we use the “Mifflin-St Jeor” equation as it's been shown to be the most accurate way to ESTIMATE.
I highlight and capitalise the word "estimate" because I want you to understand there are plenty of factors that can alter or effect these equations;
- How much body fat or muscle mass do you have?
- Do you smoke or drink coffee? Is it summer or winter?
- Are you stressed?
- Are you getting enough sleep?
So whenever using this method (or any of the others you can find), please remember they only provide estimations and you might need to play around with them a little before you get the results your after.
Step 1
Firstly, we need to find our Basal Metabolic Rates (BMR). This is the rate at which your body uses energy to survive - (In other words it’s the amount of energy your body needs to function if you were to lie in bed all day and do absolutely nothing).
Men
10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (y) + 5
Women
10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (y) - 161.
Step 2
Now we need to add in your activity and exercise to your BMR - this will give you your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
BMR x 1.200 (if your sedentary)
BMR x 1.375 (if you do light exercise 1-3 days a week)
BMR x 1.550 (if you do moderate exercise 3-5 days a week)
BMR x 1.725 (if you do heavy exercise 6-7 days a week)
BMR x 1.900 (if your always very active and do heavy exercise all the time)
Example
My BMR = 10x87+6.25x187-5x27+5 = 1908.75
My TDEE = 1908.75 (My BMR) x 1.550 (I exercise moderately 3-5 times a week) = 2958.56
I need to eat 2958.56 calories to stay the same weight!
If your struggling with the maths...
→ Use This Calculator ←
So how do I use my TDEE?
So how do I lose weight?
Losing weight = eat less energy than your body requires.
In fact you could lose weight by eating nothing but donuts if you wanted - just as long as the amount of energy you consumed was less than the amount of energy you needed - If you don't believe me, ask this guy
It really is this simple! Anyone that makes you believe their pills, plans or potions are doing more than this are a danger to your wallet and health.
Energy In vs Energy Out
So I should just eat way less than my TDEE to lose weight?
NO.
Making a large calorie deficit isn't the most effective way to lose weight.
You are better off creating a small deficit so you can keep hormones balanced, enjoy eating more food and reach your desired goals without having to make drastic changes that are uncomfortable to your lifestyle and health. Be clever, be patient.
How do I keep track of all of this?
Myfitnesspal is a great place to start!
Punching all your food into an app can be tiresome but we're useless at guessing how much food we have eaten so please go to the effort of tracking until you have a better understanding of how much you're eating.
You will surprise yourself with the amount of nutrients and calories certain foods possess. Being aware of what we put in our mouths has been linked with better diets and results - which isn't really a surprise is it?
Final Words?
The 4 rules for success when it comes to food are...
- Find out how much you should be eating to reach your goal
- Eat mostly whole, minimally processed, nutrient rich foods
- Enjoy the odd indulgence
- Be patient
Good luck and if you need a hand, you know where to find us!