We hear it everywhere these days..."macros."
What the heck is that? Macronutrients!
While you don’t need stellar genetics or complex workouts to get the physique you want, nailing your nutrition and knowing the role of macronutrients is crucial to ensuring your fat loss or muscle growth success.
With Carbs and Protein having 4 cals per gram & Fats having 9 (also fiber has 2-4 and alcohol has 7), how much of each do you NEED? It can vary a bit depending on your goal, but studies show that:
🔸 0.8-1g protein per lb of bodyweight is enough to maintain/retain muscle and repair/recover damaged tissue from training (as well as enough to build new muscle).
🔸 0.3-0.4g dietary fat per lb of bw is enough to support hormone balance and other physiological processes for overall health (hair, skin, nails, etc.)
🔸 Carbs vary most b.c. they aren’t as necessary as protein and fat for health. Once you have your numbers for protein and fat dialed in the rest of your cals go here.
🔸 13-15g of fiber per 1k cals eaten is enough to support healthy digestion (more info on my fiber intake post).
Though at the end of the day macros are macros when you break food down to a molecular level and all provide you with energy, getting the majority of your food from whole, unprocessed sources is going to provide you with better energy levels, digestion, sleep, and (likely) performance.
Whether you’re one of the many working from home these days or not, there’s no doubt you still have TONS of tasks taking up your time. Zoom meetings, writing reports, checking in with clients...I get it, there’s just not enough hours in the day.
But despite the hustle from sun up to sun down the MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do for mental AND physical health, energy, and productivity is to keep your nutrition dialed in.
I don't just mean opting for nutrient-dense foods over snacks, I’m talking about STICKING TO YOUR MACROS and nailing those numbers. We all have goals we’re trying to hit, but it can be tough finding time to cook individual meals during the week or having the motivation to prep on weekends when you just wanna relax.
That’s why I use ICON Meals for a ridiculously easy way to eat delicious foods on the go. Aside from the chefs menu rotating delicious meals weekly, I can make my OWN CUSTOM meals and the site has a macro calculator built in so I always know how each meal’s macros break down!
It saves me so much time and work. I don’t have to drive to the store and then shop, prep, or clean up...and I’m maintaining social distancing WHILE hitting my nutrition goals, what could be easier than that!?
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