For most people working toward fitness goals, increased intake of proteins, healthy fats, and vegetables is necessary. Everyone knows that eating healthy is a huge component of achieving and maintaining health goals. But carbohydrates — both the amount and the type — are the real X-factor.
The portions of necessary macros are dependent on several variables. First of all, how much muscle mass do you have? Because of its active nature, muscle tissue plays a huge role in determining metabolic rate for both males and females. For instance, 10lbs of extra muscle will burn significantly more daily calories – even while resting.
The second variable is the intensity and frequency of activity. Anaerobic activities like weight training, boot camps, and rock climbing all burn calories during the activity itself — and with an intense enough workout, up to 48 hours afterward. Aerobic exercises like jogging or swimming, on the other hand, burn calories during the training and increase your metabolism for around four hours post-workout.
The final variable affecting the macros you need is the level of body fat you have. Leaner individuals — men with less than 10 percent body fat and women with less than 14 percent — have higher insulin sensitivity and tend to have a better hormonal profile. It may sound counterintuitive, but leaner individuals shouldn’t eat like a bird to stay that way. Rather, they should be eating plenty of clean calories; they’re actually better-suited to digest carbohydrates than people with a higher level of body fat.
Nutrition, Not Calories
Nutrition is the foundation for fitness results and improved health. Calorie counting without considering the macro portions might cause weight loss or weight gain, depending on your goals, but it’s not best for optimal results. It’s far more effective to match your protein and fat consumption to your specific needs and know how many carbs to eat and when to eat them.
Some people are convinced that calorie counting is the right way to achieve these goals. They think if they stay under 400 calories per meal, there’s no need to consider macros — they’ll be fine. But who’s more likely to have better body composition and performance? The person who ate a 5-ounce steak and some kale for lunch or the person who ate three Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups?
When determining the proper macro portions for yourself, first identify what your goal is. Is it fat loss, adding muscle, increasing performance, or some combination of all three? Adjust your macros based on the intensity, frequency, and type of activities you engage in, then tweak that amount based on your muscle mass and body fat levels. People with higher body fat levels rarely benefit from carbohydrate consumption of more than 100 grams due to insulin resistance.
Just make sure you’re tweaking your macro portions slowly. If you were keeping your carbs around 50 grams, for example, and successfully got to 10 percent body fat, don’t switch to 250 grams overnight. Add carbs slowly so you can assess how you’re feeling and performing and monitor your body fat levels.
Proper Macro Portions Bring Results
Once you’ve matched your portions to your body type and fitness goals, you’ll see a multitude of benefits. You’ll feel better, be able to reach your fitness goals, and find yourself healthier overall. By tailoring your meal plan, you will quickly begin to experience the following three benefits:
1. Fat Loss
One of the quickest and healthiest ways to get leaner is to consume between 1 to 1.5 grams of grass-fed proteins and about .75 to 1 grams of healthy fats, such as EVOO, avocados, nuts, and seeds per pound of body weight every day. On top of that, you should consume between 50 to 70 grams of carbs, most of which will need to come from fibrous green vegetables.
2. Increased Muscle Mass
Manipulating your macro portions to include higher amounts of carbohydrates can work well for increasing muscle mass. There’s a four-hour window post-workout when your body’s insulin sensitivity is higher (assuming you aren’t diabetic). This is the best time to add the bulk of your daily carbohydrates into your diet. Carbohydrates such as rice, potatoes, and some types of fruit will work nicely. The amount of carbs you should consume depends on your body fat, muscle mass, and exercise intensity. A leaner person with a lot of muscle mass who just did a tough leg workout could eat as much as 200 to 300 grams of carbs within this window.
3. Performance
Your body will function better in all capacities if you consistently eat clean foods. Proteins will help immune function, detoxification, muscular hypertrophy, muscular repair, and even neurotransmitter production. Healthy fats will help hormone production, improve cardiovascular health, help thyroid function, and actually make losing fat easier.
While proteins and fats are essential for survival, we can actually live without carbohydrates. However, they can have an amazingly positive impact when you learn how much and when to incorporate them into your diet.
Eating foods that match your lifestyle choices and fitness goals doesn’t have to be a challenge. Get to know your body’s needs, and provide the proper macros to suit it. You’ll see the benefits sooner than you think.
