Posts

Showing posts with the label importance of macronutrients

Is There A Magical Macronutrient Ratio For Fat Loss?

Image
Q: "I'm trying to lose some fat, but everywhere I go to look for helpful information, I get conflicting views on the proper macronutrients ratio. Is there a right answer?" source Great question! In reality, when you're trying to lose weight, there's no ironclad macronutrient law for mapping out your diet plan. No macro mix can save you if you eat way too many calories or way too few. Yet your macro mix is an important consideration. Your body type, metabolism and weekly physical activity level all have some bearing on your ideal percentages for that moment in time. But that doesn't mean it will be the macronutrient ratio you'll use forever. It may change if and when your body weight or body fat fluctuates, or if you run into any plateaus. Then there's the fact that you have to continuously manipulate your ratios throughout any fat-loss plan. The macronutrient ratio I typically play with for maintenance purposes is 50% protein, 35% carbs and 15% fats. B...

How Much Do Macronutrients Really Matter?

Image
Macro-focused diets say that by getting the right balance of proteins, carbs and fat, you can lose weight and be healthier. source OK, you might not have heard of the term “macronutrients” before, but you still eat them every day. They are carbohydrates, protein and fat, and your body needs a lot of them – which is why they’re called “macronutrients,” not “micronutrients,” such as iron and zinc. Macros also provide your body energy: Each gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories; protein contains 4 and fat, 9. (The only other substance that feeds our bodies calories is alcohol, which has 7 calories per gram. But, since we don’t  need  booze to survive, it doesn’t get to be a member of the macronutrient club.) For years, diets have ganged up on this-or-that macronutrient, telling us to banish them as much as possible to lose weight. In the 90s, it was the fat-free craze. But then research found that healthy fats such as avocados, walnuts and olive oil c...