Macro’s, micro’s…what are they, what’s all the hype and frankly, why do we care????

OK, the definition of a Micro nutrient according to Wikipedia is:

“Micronutrients are nutrients required by humans and other organisms throughout life in small quantities to orchestrate a range of physiological functions. For people, they include dietary trace minerals in amounts generally less than 100 milligrams/day – as opposed to macrominerals which are required in larger quantities. The microminerals or trace elements include at least iron, cobalt, chromium, copper, iodine, manganese, selenium, zinc and molybdenum. Micronutrients also include vitamins, which are organic compounds required as nutrients in tiny amounts by an organism.”

So you can see, a micro nutrient is our basic vitamins and minerals.  Not too complicated.  Now macronutrients are as defined by Wikipedia:

“Nutrients are the components in foods that an organism utilizes to survive and grow. Macronutrients provide the bulk energy for an organism’s metabolic system to function, while micronutrients provide the necessary cofactors for metabolism to be carried out. Both types of nutrients can be acquired from the environment. They are used to build and repair tissues, regulate body processes, and are converted to and used for energy.

Organic nutrients include carbohydrates, fats, proteins (or their building blocks, amino acids), and vitamins.”

Macronutrients are your basic carbohydrates, fats and proteins…but in order for them to be utilized by they body properly, we need appropriate amounts of micro’s as well.  Micro’s are generally obtained by eating a wide variety of foods and proper supplementation as recommended by a professional.

OK, so macro’s….this is where things can get overly complicated but I will try to break it down in simple terms without getting too nerdy on you!

• One gram of carbohydrates has 4 calories.
• One gram of protein has 4 calories.
• One gram of fat has 9 calories.

Many macro plans also include fibre.  Why?  It’s not a macro, but we need certain amounts of fibre for good health.  Not having enough fibre can be….ahem, uncomfortable shall we say?   It’s important to include a specific fibre goal to ensure you are not just eating junk (or crap, haha…get it?) and including vegetables and variety into your every day diet.

So how do we figure out a macro plan?  What’s the right amount of everything for you?  This is where things get a bit confusing because everyone is different.  If you don’t know how to read your body (biofeedback) or understand how food is utilized, it can get even more confusing.

A general rule of thumb is 0.8g-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. This is depedant on your activity level (your training demands) and/or goals.  1.5 grams is high, I don’t personally recommend many people go that high unless your training demands are HIGH, you’re a larger person with more muscle mass or you have specific goals that require higher protein demands.  Too much protein isn’t a good thing, it can be hard on your body…more protein doesn’t equal more muscle, contrary to what people think.  Protein is still calories and if your body isn’t using those calories, then what’s the point?  Protein is for building, repair and maintenance of muscle mass…it’s made up of a chain of 21 essential amino acids that serve as the building blocks to muscle.  But in order for protein to actually be used by the body, and not stored as fat or excreted (read urinating out), you need carbohydrates.  Less than %0.04 of protein is used as energy by the body…..we get our energy from carbohydrates.  So let’s talk about the taboo of carbs!

Carbs are what fuels us…our brain, hearts, organs and muscle.  This is how we get energy to live!  Without enough carbs, our body goes into what’s called ketoacidosis, breaking down the amino acid chains provided by protein, for energy.  It’s a common practice in the fitness community to go on a “keto” diet, but not something I recommend.

So how many carbs per day do we need?  Again, this depends on your activity level, body, goals and overall diet.  Everyone is different.  Some people can breakdown carbs faster and use them more efficiently than others…some are more sensitive and require external factors (ie: training) to encourage our body to utilize carbs more efficiently.

I just googled “how many grams of carbohydrates do you need per day” and got an overwhelming amount of conflicting information!  Most of it says you need to base it on a percentage of your overall calorie intake per day…which I agree with.  To a point.  If you are inactive, you don’t need 50% of your calories coming from carbs but you do need a decent amount to keep your body running properly.

So how many calories do we need?  There’s the kicker….

Most people can figure out their caloric needs by doing a simple formula….8-22 (or higher) x bodyweight.  Now, where do you start?  Generally, 10-12 x bodyweight would be a lean out phase.  13-16 x bodyweight would be a maintenance phase, higher than that would be a “bulking” phase.

How do we break this down?  It all depends on various factors….training demands, genetics, body composition, general activity levels, etc.  So many factors!  This is where a professional would come in or doing some good research!  I generally recommend start as high as you can so you have somewhere to go.  Starting at 8 x bodyweight sounds like a great idea….but where do you go if your weightloss stalls?  So starting in the middle of the pack is a good idea.

Break it down by starting with your protein needs (as I mentioned above).  Then add in your Omega’s, these do count as calories and need to be factored in…anywhere from 2-3g/day of an EPA/DHA combo.  Then factor in what you will need post-workout….protein, 30-50g (depending on your needs) and any low fat carb in the same amount.  Both of these things will be dependent on training volume, intensity and your goals.  After you’ve done that, figure out your fats….20-40% of your calories should come from healthy fat sources, like nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, natural peanut/almond butter, etc.  Fill in the rest with your carbs and voila!

So there ya go, IIFYM in a nutshell.  I could go on to list all the Pro’s and Con’s to a plan like this but this is getting long enough, lol.  The reason why I like macro plans for clients is basic food understanding and NO deprivation. How many “diets” have you been on where as soon as you see you can’t have certain things, that’s all you want?  I’ve generally found that restricted plans lead to unhealthy eating behaviors and attitudes….freedom in food choices is the key.  Understanding what you’re eating is also key.  Diet’s have a start date and an end date, they are not sustainable long term.  I have yet to meet anyone that is able to fully commit 100% to a “diet” without going off the rails a few times. Eating according to macro’s is how we all should eat…it’s sustainable, gets results and can include almost anything you’d like!

I hope this helps clarify some aspects to this popular new “trend”, please feel free to email me with questions!  And stay tuned, my cook book and IIFYM Guide are soon to be released!