WHAT'S MY MACROS?

Deciding what to eat and how much of most important macro-nutrients (carbohydrates, fats and protein) for your body can be challenging and frustrating, but I have all the tools you need to help establish your body's needs.

First off, before you begin determining how much of one macro you need, you will need to view my previous article (How Many Calories Should I eat?) to determine your caloric intake and goal.

Macro-nutrients are essential for the body in order to function properly on a day to day basis.  They are our body's energy and without energy, you will not feel like yourself.

The main 3 macros are: Protein, Fats and Carbohydrates

Protein (1 g = 4 calories)

These are the building blocks of muscles. They help with satiety (feeling full), help blood sugar and energy levels. These become essential to ensure our bodies can work at its maximal effort. Protein makes up 15% of your body weight and since our bodies cannot produce it all by itself we need to add protein in by food consumption. It helps to make enzymes, hormones, antibodies and much more in order to make the body function properly. The body uses protein in the form of amino acids to help muscle and other tissues repair and rebuild.

You should consume about 6 servings a day of protein primarily found in eggs, beans, fish, turkey, chicken, lean ground beef, lentils, Greek yogurt, natural nut butters, almonds, vegetables and whey to name a few.

You should consume .8 grams per kg of body weight or .36 grams per lb. or better yet 1 g per lb. of body weight is sufficient, but if you are active; you will need to consume more (2x more).

Your daily intake based on the above information for example, a female is 150 lbs (take .36 g per lb. and multiply by 150= 54 g) should be consuming 54 g of protein daily. Being that there is 4 calories per gram of protein, your total protein calories would be (54 g*4) =  216 calories.

The best time to consume protein is in the morning since muscle breakdown occurs while sleeping. After your workout, you should consume protein paired with a fruit within 45 minutes. The amino acids in protein help repair muscles and body recovery. Protein is essential for muscle growth and fat burning mechanisms. If you don’t consume enough protein, it slows the metabolism. Protein! Protein! Protein!

The lower protein you consume results in overeating, weight gain and muscle loss. The higher protein you consume results in satiety, fat loss and muscle development. You burn more calories during digestion with the more protein you consume daily.

Drinking protein before bed can help boost metabolism during sleep and prevent muscle breakdown caused by overnight fasting. The amino acids in protein help protein synthesis which is muscle growth. When no amino acids are available to the body, the body cannot produce muscle.

FATS (1 g = 9 calories)

These fats do not cause fat. They help with digestion and fat loss, hence your body cannot function properly without it. These healthy fats are unsaturated and help to lower cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of heart disease as well as many other benefits. Aim to have two to three servings a day.

You can also take Omegas in forms of gel capsules to help get more of the daily dose. Omegas help reduce symptoms of depression, protect against memory loss, ease joint pain, support a healthy pregnancy and help fatigue and mood.

Your daily intake should be about 20- 25% of your calorie intake. Therefore, if your intake is 1500 calories, 25% would be 375 calories of fat. Since there are 9 calories in 1 gram of fat, you would take 375 calories divided by 9 which equals 42 g of fat, in which this should be consumed daily.

Ex: Salmon, Halibut, Cod, Avocado, Eggs, Coconut Oil, Nuts & Seeds, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil

CARBOHYDRATES (1 g = 4 calories)

There are two types of carbohydrates; simple and complex. Complex carbs are the ones you want to put into your body. They are high fiber and improve digestion. They can make or break you so choose correctly. They help you feel satiety. Your body fuels off this for energy and brain function. Our body uses carbohydrates first for energy then fats and lastly if needed; protein. Simple carbs equal sugar so avoid them as much as possible. You should consume at least 2 to 3 servings a day. 

Your daily intake of carbs based on a 1500 calories diet would be 909 calories. If your caloric intake is 1500 calories and you consume calories of protein and fats, you would subtract those calories from your daily calorie intake and that is what you would consume in carbohydrate calories. Carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram, so if you consume 909 calories daily divide this by 4 and it would give you your daily carbohydrate grams which would be 227 grams based on 1500 calories diet.

Carbohydrates are converted to glucose before they are absorbed into the bloodstream. Complex and simple carbohydrates are released differently in your body in terms of rapid and sedated. Rapid carbohydrates deplete blood sugar and convert those carbohydrates to fat (candy, soda, white flour products). You may even feel an afternoon crash and crave more food. Sedated carbohydrates like vegetables provide the body with nutrients, fiber and vitamins. They are digested slowly to avoid blood sugar spikes that can provoke weight gain and muscle growth.