Fueling for Success: Calories, Macronutrients, and the 80/20 Principle

Trying to summarize recommendations for a healthy diet in one blog post feels a bit impossible when considering the extensive research on various foods and diets out there. So my goal is to boil it down and highlight what I consider to be the most important points.

First, I want to say that I believe it is much more helpful to focus on adding healthy foods to our diet before cutting out unhealthy ones. Your body may have a very real addiction to fat and sugar and the thought of cutting out all of the unhealthy foods may send you into a spiral of stress and overwhelm, keeping you from taking action. We are not trying to force our way into healthy eating through willpower, but instead make gradual changes by incorporating more of what our body needs to operate efficiently and feel energized. The more we start to eat healthy foods, the more our bodies will crave those instead of the unhealthy ones. 

Calories

A “quick and dirty” way of calculating calories based on body weight is as follows:

• Weight (fat) loss = ideal body weight x 12-13

• Maintenance = current body weight x 15-16

• Weight gain = current body weight x 18-19

Keep in mind, your age, sex, and activity level will also influence your caloric needs, but the above formula is a great place to start. 

Macronutrients

After considering our total calorie goal, the next step is to look at macronutrients - protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Last week I talked about the importance of building healthy muscle through strength training. Another essential component of building muscle and improving body composition is to get enough protein in your diet. Our body’s are constantly going through rebuild and repair cycles - the tissue is broken down, and amino acids (the building blocks of protein) are what serve to repair and rebuild tissue. Our bodies will always work to take care of our organs first - heart, brain, liver, kidneys, GI tract - and if we are not eating enough protein, there will not be enough left to support skeletal muscle growth and repair. 

Exactly how much protein do we need? The answer is complex - based on our specific goals, as well as the quality of protein sources. But in general, based on recommendations by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon in her book “Forever Strong,” the goal is to eat 0.7-1 gram per pound of IDEAL body weight (our current weight if we are not trying to lose weight). This should also be evenly distributed throughout the day as much as possible to optimize tissue repair as well as to help us to feel more full and reduce cravings for unhealthy snacking.

After calculating protein needs, Dr. Lyon recommends determining carbohydrate needs by utilizing a 1:1 carb to protein ratio. However, these needs increase if we are doing moderate to high intensity exercise. If you are diabetic, you may want to reduce your carbohydrate intake to help stabilize blood sugar levels. But more importantly than the exact amount of carb’s you eat is the quality that you are eating. Unprocessed, fiber-rich, whole grains will have a significantly different impact on our bodies than processed, low quality, sugary carbs. 

The recommendations for fat are anywhere from 0.32 to 1 gram per pound of body weight (determined by the amount of calories left after calculating calories consumed with protein and carbohydrates), and again we need to consider quality. I will not go into full details about the various types of fats, but I do want to highlight omega-3 fatty acids, which provide numerous health benefits - especially supporting brain, heart, and muscle health. They can help lower triglycerides, reduce the risk of stroke, and improve heart health. They may also help combat cellular inflammation and protect cells from developing cancer. Omega-3’s are found in fatty fishes, such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, as well as plant based sources including flaxseeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts. You can also take an Omega-3 supplement. 

FYI, the amount of calories in each macronutrient are listed below:

• Protein: 4 calories per gram

• Carbohydrates: 4 calories per gram

• Fat: 9 calories per gram

The 80/20 Guideline

Another guideline I personally ascribe to is to aim for eating healthy foods at least 80% of the time and allowing for indulgences for up to 20% of your calories. This keeps you from having to restrict any foods 100% of the time, and can often lead to better long term success. It can also help you keep a balanced mindset about eating by removing the guilt, emotion and stress associated with dieting and allows you to enjoy your favorite foods in moderation. 

Keep in mind, if you are trying to lose weight, it is essential that you are still considering your total caloric and macronutrient intake in order to hit your goals. Additionally, most dieticians caution against saving your 20% of unhealthy eating all for the weekend, but instead try to keep it mostly balanced throughout the week.

This summarizes the main points to consider of WHAT we should eat for ideal health. However, if you need help determining HOW to incorporate these principles into your busy life, send me an email and we can schedule a consultation in which I will share how I can help you achieve your personal goals.