Define Your Diet

I get asked about what kind of diet is "best" a lot; but usually in the form of "are carbs evil?" "is fat bad?" It boils down to the following (in my opinion): no macronutrient ("marco") is evil. In fact no food is necessarily evil either. Now, that statement is a license to eat Twinkies and Ho-Hos for dinner tonight, unless you really, really wanted to do that.

Macros or macronutrients are simply a class of chemicals we consume in the large quantities and provide the majority of our energy- the three old school stand byes are: fat, protein and carbohydrate. New school info tells us we should also be looking at and considering fiber, which is really a part of carbohydrates that is digested differently.

While no macronutrient or certain food is evil or bad, the quality and quantity of marcos and foods DO (and should) play a key role in your diet. Macros should be part of the thought process when structuring your diet. Once you have determined what is best for your body, macros break down can then influence your food choices. This idea of a structure to diet is usually connected with the desire to change the way you look, or sometimes, to change the way you feel. Macros can look very different for two people of the same gender, weight and fitness level based on their individual goals, so remember to let your goals define and lead the way through everything you do.

How do you know how many macros you need? Start by defining your goals- lose weight, maintain weight, gain weight, get stronger, get faster, etc...Then figure out what your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)- this is the number of calories your body would need to do nothing all day (literally nothing except sleeping).

For Women: 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

For Men: 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

Or you can use a calculator online (google BMR calculator). Then find out what your total daily energy expenditure is (TDEE) by taking your BMR and multiplying by your lifestyle:

Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR x 1.2

Lightly active (easy exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375

Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55

Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): BMR x 1.725

Extremely active (very hard exercise/sports and physical job): BMR x 1.9

For example (me) male, 182 lbs, 5'6", (almost) 32 years old:

66 +(6.23 X 182) + (12.7 X 66) - (6.8 X 32) = 1,718 Calories a day (to do nothing but sleep). I'd say I am moderately active = 1718 X 1.55 = 2662.9 as my TDEE.

Adjust your goal calorie intake to reflect your overall goals. If you hope to lose weight, consider subtracting 200-500 calories from your TDEE. Any more than 500 calorie deficit over a long period of time will step into nutritional compromise. If your goal is to gain weight then add 200 calories to your TDEE.

Back to Macros... Standard recommendations indicate a 40% carb, 30% protein and 30% fat breakdown. This is a good place to start- a good place to see how your body responds. Some individuals literally feel better and perform better with 60% carbs, 20% protein and 20% fat; while others feel and perform best with 20% carbs, 40% protein and 40% fat. In any event it is important to assess how you're feeling in relation to how much and what you are eating. If you are striving for very specific goals (certain body fat or strength increase) or feel too bogged down to create a macro profile and meal plan- consult with a professional or someone who has been in your shoes before. Remember, we all had to start somewhere.