Introduction
If you ever opened up a fitness magazine or a blog, you stumbled upon “If It Fits Your Macros” or something similar, guaranteed. In this article we will talk about macronutrients, explaining to you why they matter, and why people talk so much about them, so stay tuned.
Carbs, Fat and Protein—that’s all there is to it
There are three groups of macronutrients—carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. These three make the majority of every diet. The rest falls to micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals and their subcategories, which are also important, but macros make the most of what we eat.
Although there are only three macronutrients, the possibilities and combinations are endless. Different fitness “schools” follow different protein:carbs:fat ratios.
Keto fanatics will demonize carbs while focusing on proteins and fat. “Super-carb diet” will pick the opposite route, telling you how carbs are imperative, and all the rest is secondary.
In our opinion, every diet will get you to your goal, if you stick to it. The issue is that they often fail longterm—because they end.
What you need is a lifestyle fix, a conscious effort to change your bad habits, and keep newly formed ones for good. Here’s a breakdown of three macros, to help you make an educated decision:
Proteins
Those fitness “schools” usually fight each other on the benefits of fat or carbs but rarely attacking proteins.
Proteins are the essential building block of muscles. If you don’t eat enough proteins, not only that you won’t be able to build new, you are in danger of losing existing muscles.
Furthermore, proteins almost never end up as fat. And, they make you eat less, as they promote feeling full. They are digested slowly, requiring the most calories to get fully processed.
Proteins won’t cause blood sugar spikes, and they have the same amount of calories as carbs. In short—they have the most benefits, and increasing your protein intake is a good idea for any diet.
Fats
Fats are energetic bombs. A gram of fat carries twice as much calories than carbs and protein. Fats fill you up quickly; however, because of their energetic potency, it is also easy to overeat fat. One tablespoon of olive oil has more than 100 calories! Yes, it’s healthy for you, but not if you overeat it.
Keep in mind that there are good and bad kinds of fat. Avoid trans fats at all costs, they are dangerous. Eat unprocessed, organic fats from something like uncooked olive oil and you are good.
It’s a misconception that you gain fat directly from eating fat https://fitandpsyched.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-the-keto-diet/. No, you gain fat by eating more calories than you consume. All food gets broken down through digestion, and then either spent or stored.
Carbohydrates
Carbs are the third group of macronutrients. Fifty years ago, fats were demonized, but today, through keto, carbs get the most trash.
There are some bad, and some good carbs. White sugar, for example, is terrible, and you should completely cut it out from your diet. You should also limit your alcohol, starch and glucose intake. Yes, fruit is also filled with sugar, natural, but still sugar. Limit your fruit intake to one serving per day.
But, indulge in fiber-rich vegetables. Fiber, unlike simpler carbs, never causes blood sugar spikes. The issue with that is that it is followed by insulin spike, that usually overshoots, suddenly dropping blood sugar below “normal.” That causes those familiar sugar cravings, followed by binging. Fiber gets digested slowly, releasing a constant stream of energy, without spikes. They are also great for gut health.
While simpler carbs cause blood sugar spikes, you can still use them occasionally. Eating something sweet before a workout will give you more power. Sure, you won’t burn fat, as you have energy in your bloodstream, but you will undoubtedly lift more, and give your best. This will help you build more muscle, and muscles alone burn a ton of fat.
Conclusion
Guys, a balanced diet has all three macronutrients plus enough micronutrients to support your immunity and needs.
But, following a diet is not easy, especially if you don’t know what steps to take. For that reason, you should hire a personal trainer.
Our West Palm Beach gym is best known for our one on one private training sessions. We will work exclusively with you, taking care of your diet and exercise plan, and making sure you stick to it.
With FitAndPsyched failure is not an option. Once you sign up, you will find out it is not just an empty cliche. Visit us today!
