counting macros

The Scale Isn't The Tell All | Ask Erik

Don't judge the progress you've made solely on what the scale says.

Erik recommends looking at other ways to measure your progress and changes you've made:

1. Eating healthier
2. Cutting back on your portions
3. Counting your macros
4. Taking up strength training, jogging, walking, etc.
5. Hanging out with more positive people

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Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | If It Fits Your Macros

 

If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM)

IIFYM is an approach you can take when it comes to losing or gaining weight.  IIFYM might be a different approach than what you are used to hearing. Read more about macros here.

Most people associate dieting with clean eating and exercise. It has been proven many times that you do not have to exercise and eat healthy to lose weight.   IIFYM gives you freedom to eat the food you love.  

Say What?

You heard me right, wine, pizza, or ice cream = no problem.  Here’s the caveat… you can eat whatever you want but you cannot overeat.  Put yourself in a safe calorie deficit of 10-15% and make sure that you do not go over the amount of calories you are allowed to eat.  So if your calorie deficit number is 1800 calories per day you can not go over this number.  

Now I know what you are thinking, come on Erik, chicken, broccoli, and oatmeal should be the staple of anyone’s diet, especially if you are trying to lose weight.  Not that this isn’t true, but for many people it is very difficult to sustain this type of eating regimen for the long run without having foods that they enjoy.   And to be perfectly clear and honest, I would prefer people eat a fairly clean and balanced diet!

How IIFYM Works

So how does IIFYM work?  If your goal is weight loss, you first need to figure out how many calories you have been eating each day. Track your calories for 3-4 days so you can see how many calories you average per day.  Let’s say you average 2500 a day, take 10-15% off of 2500. This is the number you are going to subtract from 2500.  2250 or 2125 will be your new daily allowance in calories.  

Now keep in mind this is the simplest form of cutting calories, there are many other factors that can be included in this:

  • workouts
  • activity level
  • basal metabolic rate

But if you are having issues losing weight, IIFYM is a great place to start without the hassle of changing what you eat. If you don’t believe me that you can lose weight with eating whatever you want, read about the Twinkie diet here.  

Call me if you'd like help with your very own personalized nutrition plan 310.251.7420

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Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | Count On This

 

 

What are macros?

Your macros consist of the carbohydrates, protein, and fat you consume in a day that your body uses for energy.

Why we should count them

Counting your macros can be very telling.  If we start paying attention to what we are eating it becomes apparent that we can be eating too many or too few calories depending on our particular goals: weight loss, weight gain, or maintaining weight.

What are Your Goals?

There is value in knowing how much you are eating because you can tweak your daily allowance to meet a very specific weight goal.  Your goal may be to decrease body fat, pack on more muscle, prepare for an endurance event, or help you meet your doctor's orders to lost weight.

How do you do it? 

It is not an easy task to figure out your macros.  You have to read food labels, weigh food after it has been cooked, and log everything you consume into a food dairy.  I know it’s a lot of work, but it can be well worth the investment of your time.  MyFitnessPal is a fantastic app that you can put on your phone. It allows you to keep track of your calories and it is super easy to use. 

Simple Math

1 gram of carbs = 4 calories

1 gram of protein = 4 calories

1 gram of fat = 9 calories

 

Tips

1.     Do not make any drastic changes in your nutrition. Only after you have figured out how many calories you are eating per day, should you then slowly adjust your daily allowance. 

2.     If you are looking for an edge in your respective sport or looking to lose weight, counting your macros will get you there.  

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