Alright, it’s time to have some fun!
It’s time to get your macronutrient assignment!
It’s important to keep a few things in mind before you “jump in” and just grab a pair. (Pun intended.)
==> All macronutrient numbers are mere starting points!
Tracking your intake, staying consistent with your diet, and adjusting as necessary ALL trump your starting macronutrient numbers.
The human metabolism is adaptive. It shouldn’t be viewed as a static number, but more as a dynamic, ever-changing number that we are trying to find the relative average of, over time.
This is why we will be taking measurements every week, and it’s only advised to take your scale weight daily and find the average.
==> Your specific macronutrient numbers can be tailored to your preferences.
If you can’t find a set of macros that you can live with, you can make an alteration to them, as long as you keep your overall calories consistent.
There are:
==> 4 calories per gram of protein
==> 4 calories per gram of carbohydrates
==> 9 calories per gram of fats
If you wish to adjust them, you can evenly trade protein and carbs in a 1:1 ratio.
You can also trade either protein OR carbs with fats in a 2:1 ratio. (It’s not exact, but it’s close enough for our purposes.)
Our macronutrient assignments have been created, refined, created again, and refined again, ad nauseum through working with over 2,000 men and women through their fitness goals.
==> DO NOT go to extremes with your macros!
Don’t think you will “speed up fat loss” by going zero carb, or going vegan, or going zero fat.
Each macronutrient has a specific metabolic use, and it’s uber-important to be sure you have a moderate dose of each:
Protein:
-Aids in fullness and satiety
-Provides a mild “extra burn” as 25% of protein’s calories are used in digestion.
-Allows for muscular retention when dieting.
Carbohydrates:
-Body’s preferred source of fuel.
-Helps with thyroid function and metabolic pathways.
-Provides proper energy and recovery for tough workouts.
Fats:
-Slow digestion and reduces hunger.
-Promote healthy hormones, most notably testosterone (both men AND women need this!)
-Makes food taste amazing (very important!).
Do keep in mind as you look at your assignment that we do not count low-calorie veggies when we are tracking.
This keeps our life simple. Low calorie veggies should be eaten every day! And since they are eaten every day, they won’t be a variable, so we won’t need to track it!
Can you tell I’m a math teacher?
Low calorie veggies include:
- Spinach/lettuce/kale
- Broccoli/cauliflower
- Onions
- Mushrooms/peppers
- Carrots (be careful here – they have more sugar than most veggies)
- Green beans
- Cucumber/zucchini
- Celery
***STOP! You need to read this before you go any further!
***If you are hitting your macronutrient numbers, you are hitting your calories!
The column which says “TDEE” is your maintenance calories.
(“TDEE” means “total daily energy expenditure” – it’s a fancy way of saying “maintenance”.)
If your main goal is fat loss, you will choose EITHER “cycling” macros OR “straight” macros.
(Maintenance or bulking has only one set of numbers – no cycling.)
“Cycling” macros means you will eat more carbs and less fats on the days you train, and more fats and less carbs on the days you don’t train.
“Straight” macros means you will eat the same numbers every day.
Is there an advantage to one over the other?
Physically, not really. If anything, there’s an extremely mild benefit due to nutrient partitioning. (This means that when you train, your body needs carbs, so we give it carbs, basically.)
But the benefit is likely so mild, it doesn’t need to be taken into consideration.
The biggest benefit to cycling is psychologically.
If you “cycle” your macros, you can eat all those yummy carbs when you train and all of that delicious, fatty goodness when you don’t train.
It makes your diet more enjoyable, which in turn helps your compliance.
***For a person new to macro counting, it is highly recommended to use the “Straight” Macros – they will make life easy for you to only have one set of numbers.
***IF you are a seasoned macro counting veteran, you can cycle if you wish – but again, there is no clear benefit, it is personal choice only.
Okay, so here’s how you do this………
1. Click on the Red Link Below.
2. Enter your Bodyweight.
3. Choose an “Activity Multiplier”, which is a number from 12 – 16.
4. Choose your gender.
5. Input your main goal (fat loss, recomp/maintenance, or muscle gain).
Here is a graphic that will help you choose your activity multiplier………..if you are between two numbers, always choose the smaller number.
Ok………do you have your Activity Multiplier?
Do you know your bodyweight?
Do you know what your primary goal is?
Ready to get your Macro Assignment?
Awesome………..
Then let’s do this………….