The problem isn't necessarily the calories it could be the TYPE of calories. Whether you're counting Cheetos or cucumber slices the TYPE of calories you're consuming make ALL the difference when it comes to your health and fitness goals.
The first thing to address when working towards your health and fitness goals is your relationship with food. Your relationship with food should be one that is HEALTHY! And, I don't mean eating like a rabbit and following a strict low carb or paleo diet. Building a positive relationship with food begins with loving your body and understanding that food is fuel. PERIOD. Food DOES and CAN taste good, be satisfying and comforting but bottom line, food FUELS our beautiful, STRONG bodies.
Moving on, macro nutrients are the building blocks that make up the caloric content of the foods we eat. There are essentially THREE categories of macronutrients which are carbohydrates (fruits, veggies, grains, starches, etc.), fat (oils, nuts, avocado, seeds, etc.), and proteins (soy, whey, chicken, beans, beef, etc.). The combination of these three macronutrients total up the calories within the foods we eat. Here's a basic break down:
-1 gram of carbohydrates is equivalent to 4 calories
-1 gram of fat is equivalent to 9 calories
-1 gram of protein is equivalent to 4 calories
So basically it's not the number of calories but the kind of calories in your food. Think quality! Rather than counting down from a calorie target you'll be deducting from the 3 macronutrient goals you'll have. These numbers are derived from your goal and your current starting point. This is all calculated through various calculators online, CLICK HERE to use the calculator myself and many other fit folks use.
Once you get your numbers you can begin! I suggest downloading a food tracking app like MyFitnessPal. This free tool is an excellent resource to use to calculate and keep track of your food. You're making a lifestyle change so you want to track your foods. The healthiest and fittest of people TRACK THEIR FOODS as should you. For the record, the premium version of MyFitnessPal is totally worth it but easily able to manage around the free version.
A food tracker app will allow you to pull up the macronutrient data on the foods you plan or are eating. This tracking app will deduct the macronutrients for you, this tool is HANDY! I suggest you purchase a food scale as well. They're very affordable and will help you even more when working towards your goals!
So once you've got your goals in start planning and tracking your foods! When planning your meals you want to select a protein, a carbohydrate packed with MICRONUTRIENTS (those things Dr. Oz always boasts about) which is a veggie of some sort (NOT CORN) and a starch. The fats you can naturally add in by using oils to sauteed veggies or grill up some chicken. If you're low on fats then I suggest eating some almonds or avocado.
What does it mean "If it fits your macros?"
Essentially this means if you want a donut, you can fit the donut as a carb in your macros. This is not something you want to all the time but this allows you to have flexibility in your nutrition while working towards your goals. The BEST way to ensure that it fits is to PLAN your meals in advance, plug them into MFP early in the day and as you desire a snack or a team member at work brings in donuts you can check to see if it fits. Shout out to Jill for that recommendation!
Essentially calculating and tracking macros is no different than tracking and calculating calories. If you have questions feel free to reach out to me directly or leave a comment! I'm happy to help you reach your health and fitness goals.
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