• Counting Macros For Beginners
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    Counting Macros for Beginners and How to Lose or Gain Weight

    Counting macros can be easy, even for beginners. Counting macros can also help you to achieve weight loss goals or even to promote and sustain muscle growth. It is a powerful tool to help manage what you eat so that you know the exact amounts of macronutrients that your body needs for a specific goal.

    First of all, what are macros? The three macros (short for macronutrients) that the body needs in large numbers are protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Each of these macronutrients provides energy in the form of calories or kcals. In addition to energy, these nutrients have other specific roles in helping your body function properly.

    Proteins contain 4 kcals per 1 gram

    Fats contain 9 kcals per 1 gram

    Carbohydrates contain 4 kcals per 1 gram

    Protein

    Protein foods are made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of the body. Proteins play a key role in building and maintaining muscle mass and providing energy for our cells and brain. Young children need approximately 1-1.5 grams of protein per kg of body weight. Average adults need about 0.8-0.95 grams per kg of body weight. Some common sources of protein include:

    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Fish
    • Eggs
    • Beans
    • Milk

    Fats

    Fats are the most calorie dense macronutrient at 9 calories per gram. Fats get a bad reputation because most people think that fats make you fat. Your body should have an appropriate amount of healthy fats to do things like regulate hormone production and allow for proper absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). Granted if you eat too much fat, your calorie intake can spike faster because each gram accounts for about double of what you would get out of protein and carbohydrates. You want to take in a variety of fats that include monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and some saturated fats as well. Common sources of fats include:

    • Butter
    • Avocado
    • Olive Oil
    • Coconut Oil
    • Nuts/Seeds

    Carbohydrates

    Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred energy source. In most diets, carbs make up the majority of the calories consumed. The body takes simple or complex carbs and breaks them down into glucose which is either used right away or stored in muscle or fat for future use. The problem that most people run into with carbs, is that they over eat processed and refined carbohydrates which release sugar into the bloodstream very quickly leading to more cravings, low energy levels, cravings, weight gain, and brain fog. Carbs like vegetables, ancient grains, whole fruit, and others digest slower and come without all of the bad side effects. Good carb sources include:

    • Fruit
    • Starchy Root Vegetables
    • Whole Grains

    Counting Macros

    So now that you know what “macros” are and where they come from, how do you count them? And how do you use that information to gain or lose weight?

    Tracking Your Food

    First and foremost, you have to have an idea of what you are currently taking in. Download a food and meal tracking app such as My Fitness Pal. This app makes it really easy to track your food. Simply scan the barcode on the back of the items that you are consuming and make sure you put in the right amount of servings you are eating. At the end of the day, you will have a total amount of protein, fat, and carbs that you consumed. Along with that, you have your calorie count. Do this for a full week so that you can get an average of what you normally eat.

    Basal Metabolic Rate

    Up next is calculating your BMR. Use this BMR Calculator to get your estimated number. This number is an estimate for the amount of energy expended while at rest in a neutrally temperate environment, and in a post-absorptive state (meaning that the digestive system is inactive, which requires about 12 hours of fasting). So basically, this is how many calories your body would need if you didn’t do anything all day and just lied there. It also gives you a guide based on your activity level on how many calories you need to maintain a specific weight.

    Plugging In The Numbers

    An average person who is trying to lose weight should aim to shoot for a ratio of about 30% carbs, 20% fat, and 50% protein that come from your daily calorie intake. If you are looking to build more muscle along the way, your ratio should be focused more around eating as much protein in grams as you want your goal body weight to be (175g protein for 175lb bodybuilder).

    Let’s say my BMR is about 1700 cal/day and when I add in my activity level and exercise that I do regularly, my recommended is about 3000 cal/day. Theoretically, if I ate 3000 calories each day, my weight would stay the same.

    Look back now at your averages when you tracked your food. If I ate over 3000 calories/day, I would gain weight. If I ate under 3000 calories/day I would lose weight.

    To make it simple, 3,500 calories= about 1lb of fat. In general, if you cut about 500 to 1,000 calories a day from your typical diet, you’d lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week.

    Just remember that BMR number, if your calorie count consistently stays below that number, your body will not be able to function at an optimal level.

    Final Thoughts

    This advice is very baseline and will work for most people. There are a lot of different circumstances that change these formulations, it’s best to consult someone who has knowledge in nutrition, exercise, body mechanics, and metabolic function.

    Your numbers will change if you lose weight, gain weight, start more exercise, get pregnant and more! Keep good track of things. Myfitnesspal has settings that help you stay on track if you upload your weight.

    Yours in optimal health,

    Dr. Glenn Ezell

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  • Which protein supplement (and amount) is right for you?
    Which protein supplement (and amount) is right for you?
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    All proteins are not created equally!

    If you’re like most people, you know that protein is something that you need to have in your diet to survive. What you’ve wondered is if you should take supplements and if so, which ones to take. You’ve probably also wondered how much to take. Well, today you have the opportunity to learn all about it!

    Lets start by explaining what protein is and how it works. Protein is one of the three dietary macronutrients (big nutrients) that our body needs to function. The other two are fats and carbohydrates. These nutrients all work together to keep you on top of your game. In an analogy, these things work like a construction process. Proteins act like the bricks and walls while carbohydrates do the work by cementing and putting everything together and the fats are the managers who are overlooking the whole process, making sure that everything is running smoothly.

    Proteins provide the body with the building blocks to make amino acids which are used for building new muscle tissue. Muscles simply would not exist without it.

    Benefits of protein include:

    1. Muscle growth
    2. Better recovery (repair)
    3. Optimal immune response
    4. Healthy appetite

    The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is currently at an average of 50g per day. Most would say that this is surprisingly low, though  you have to consider that this is based on the average American. This person is mostly sedentary.

    “HOW MUCH DO I NEED”? Great question. If you are sedentary to mildly active and trying to lose body fat for example, I would recommend 1-1.5g per kg of body weight daily. 1kg equals about 2.2lbs. In a 150lb person, the equation looks like this 150/2.2=68, 68×1.5=102g. So a person who weighs 150lbs would need about 68-102 grams of protein daily to fit their needs.

    If you are a seasoned athlete, someone who is trying to bulk up, get stronger or just really change your body composition, you should shoot for 2g per kg of body weight. For our 150lb person here, he should consume about 136g protein daily.

    Now lets say you are overweight, these recommendations will change (overweight being 20% over body fat percentage in males and 30% over body fat percentage in females). Just take as much protein as your goal weight.

    “WHAT KIND OF PROTEIN DO I NEED”? Another great question. Protein supplements are often made from different sources have different ingredients and do different things.

    Whey protein is one of the most popular of protein supplements available and also one of the best.

    There are three main types of whey; concentrate, isolate, and hydrolyzedConcentrate simply means that there are more additives and a lesser amount of raw protein. Isolatemeans that the protein has been isolated and filtered for a more pure product. Hydrolyzed protein is made to be absorbed faster.

    Casein is a slow digesting protein source and is often taken by individuals before bed.

    Egg protein is available to people who enjoy a lactose-free source of protein.

    Soy protein is a vegetarian protein source.

    Protein is vital for living optimally. Proteins from your raw diet should be taken into consideration and are not to be replaced by supplements.

    Yours in health,

    Dr. Ezell

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