Under-eating, overeating, undereating, overeating, it can be an endless cycle. You’re either becoming fatigued during sessions, or beating yourself up when you overindulge, turning a cheat meal into a cheat day (or 2 or 3!), or starting to “eat healthy” every Monday, often failing by dinner time. Why is it an endless cycle? Well, merely because you haven’t fully understood what your body needs, or why you need a certain amount of carbohydrates, fats and protein specific to YOU in order for you to reach your goal and achieve the body you have always desired.
In all honesty, it took me years to fully understand how important food for fuel is and it was only when I was educated enough on the importance of eating specifically to my own goal to build muscle, did I see the purpose to follow macros and started to see the changes not just in my physique, but in my performance.
So regardless of whether your goal is to build muscle or to get lean, you still need to be having the correct balance of proteins, fats and carbs, based on your bodyweight and your output.
CARBS - WHY THEY ARE YOUR FRIEND
If you are one of those people who generally try to cut carbs completely when wanting to lose weight, let me tell you now that this is your biggest mistake and will ultimately hinder you from getting anywhere nearer to your goal. Not only are you more prone to fatigue, weakness and headaches from cutting carbs out, but they are the only macronutrient used for fuel to improve athletic performance as well as fuelling your nervous system in order for your body to function effectively. Having been a previous moron who cut out carbs in years previous to training, I never even knew that carbs have the same amount of calories as protein (4 calories per 1g) with fats being more than double at 9 calories per gram. The amount of carbs you consume is dependent on your goal. So, for building muscle: have more of them and eat in a GRADUAL calorie surplus (to minimise fat gain) or for losing weight: lower the amount gradually overtime and have the right types (consume more slower releasing carbs eg oats, rice). Either way, NEVER eliminate them from your diet!
PROTEIN - WHY YOU'RE DEFINITELY NOT HAVING ENOUGH!
The other most common habit I see when I first meet clients is undereating on protein. Did you know that your approximated intake of protein should be 1g per 1lb of your bodyweight? People certainly tend to undereat on protein especially at breakfast and they wonder why they are ravenous by lunchtime! Eating enough protein whilst training keeps you full so you are fully satiated in between meals (snacks should also be high protein so pick up a protein bar before the Cadburys!)
When muscle building, having enough protein helps you gain the muscle mass and strength for you to optimise your training sessions and if cutting, it reduces the inevitable muscle loss that you expect to experience especially in a long term cutting phase. In terms of overall body maintenance and health, proteins are vital for overall bone health. Most importantly, protein has a higher thermic effect than fats and carbs (thermic effect meaning when your body uses calories to digest your food). In terms of preventing yourself from injuries, proteins form the main building blocks of your muscle tissues and organs and so prevent and preserve them. The best thing to takeaway – ensure your hitting your protein number and get in the habit of having high protein snacks throughout the day.
FATS - STICK TO THE RIGHT KINDS!
Fats are vital for overall health, especially hormonal production and body temperature. The minimum requirement is roughly 10% equivalent to your bodyweight. Also, having the correct amount, helps absorption of vital vitamins A, D, E, K. In terms of performance, high fats are not recommended immediately before or after training just because they digest so much slower than carbs and protein, but they are still vital to have in your diet. Stick to your healthier fats (monounsaturated fats eg nut butters, avocado etc). I tend to have fats (peanut butter specifically!) in my last meal before bed as it leads to increased fullness due to being digested slowly -no one likes to go to sleep hungry!
Just remember, if you feel you aren’t progressing whilst working towards your goal, then it is worth evaluating your nutrition. Even when my own goal changes, whether that’s getting leaner or building muscle, the fact of the matter remains; it isn’t my training that changes, just my nutrition. Eat smart.
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