Blergh..... (hidden under read more for discussion of eating/macros)
Blerg. I hate cutting weight. Such a fuckin' bore. Low carb (macro-based, never keto) agrees really well with my body though, on a temporary basis.
Well that looks rather nice if I do say so myself. (Strength days usually get a whole avocado, an extra protein shake and a double serving of peanut butter.)
Steps: Like a boss. Macros: Hella carbs because two hours of cardio (shudder).
I have some questions about protein and if I ate more of it in my diet would I lose weight? I use this app called myfitnesspal I don't know if your aware of what it is or not, but if I ate on a 40% protein, 30% fat and 30% carb, is that healthy? What are some healthy snacks that are low in calories but high in protein? Also would adding sweet potato to my diet help me lose weight as well? I know these questions seem random but I've been wondering lately. Appreciate the help!
Hi there :) I say this with absolute love and respect: This isn’t a weight loss blog and I don’t support weight loss as a primary goal.
Some goals I do support and encourage: Fitness (strength, speed, agility, flexibility); size acceptance/HAES/self-positivity; nutritional education; strength training as sport; body composition improvement (appropriate fat loss and/or muscle gain); physical recovery/rehabilitation; and overall healthy lifestyle/whole wellness. Because let’s be real for a minute… weight loss is a blind goal. Muscle loss is weight loss. Bone density loss is weight loss. Organ tissue loss is weight loss. Dehydration is weight loss. If you cut off your leg, you’ll be a lot lighter on a scale. All that might sound like picky semantics, but the concept of “weight loss” is a trap. I cannot help you lose weight, but I can help you work towards better health, which may certainly cause your body to offload unnecessary spare fat if it is currently carrying more than its natural setpoint.
So with that being said, I’m figuring you want to improve your body composition, and are actually looking for effective ways to achieve fat loss through a healthy diet. :) And that can be a great goal! (given the assumption that you currently have extra body fat to lose - if you don’t, please reconsider your perspective and body goals.)
Working under the trust that you are currently eating enough to support your health, I can recommend a few things for your diet. I use MFP as well to track my macro ratios, and I really like how it encourages you to eat back your exercise calories to keep your deficit in the healthy range. So good on that. :) I would recommend dropping your protein to 30% and raising either your fat or carbs to 40% or even higher. Fat and carbs are your body’s sources of energy. If you drop those too low, your body can’t even really use the increased protein because you will have nothing to fuel your workouts and daily activity and thus your body will just waste the extra protein, working unnecessarily hard to break it down for energy instead of using carbs and fat that you didn’t feed yourself with. It’s not an efficient use of food energy, honestly.
Whether you increase your carbs or fat is up to you. I am personally not a fan of low carb/high fat or keto diets. There’s a reason our bodies crave carbs - it’s because carbohydrates are the quickest and most biologically viable way for our muscles to use energy and store fuel in the form of glycogen. This isn’t to say that it’s a good idea to be eating Twinkies and fries three times a day to keep our bodies fueled… but things like whole grains, potatoes, beans, fruits and vegetables all provide nutritive carbohydrates to keep our bodies energized, so we can push through our day’s activities and keep getting stronger, healthier, and happier. Restricting carbs can often trigger binge eating and even full-on eating disorders in those who are not suited to it (and a lot of people push on with it anyways because it’s so hella trendy right now). Furthermore, our brains prefer carbs as a fuel source. A human brain alone will use over 100g of glucose per day, and while the body can convert fat for brain fuel, it’s a more difficult process and I’d rather keep my brain firing at full quick capacity. But all bodies are different. If lower carb or keto makes your body and mind feel good, see how it goes for you. If it makes you feel like shit and you see your workouts suffer, ditch it.
From my own experience/observations/research, I’d advise setting your carbs at 40-50%, protein at 25-30%, and fat at 25-30%. I generally find myself at 45/30/25, but it can change a bit day to day and I encourage you to experiment for a few months, and find which ratios work well for you.
Also, sweet potatoes are amazing. They are one of the most nutritionally-dense, body-fortifying choices you can make for your complex carbs. They won’t make you lose weight/fat though. No food or macronutrient ratio in itself can make you lose weight or body fat. Healthy fat loss comes as a result of positive lifestyle habits and slow changes.
I appreciate you stopping by! I hope you find something healthy and positive that helps you reach your goals. :)
Approximately 4 billion unweighted squats later and I'm actually really sore, which is a little embarrassing. Insanity went fine, the instructor offered low impact versions of everything, which is actually way harder than the plyo because the movements have to be bigger/slower/deeper. But I'm not in a place to be jumping around yet, so today was full of deep reverse lunges and balanced chair squats. And yoga was great and my macros look good. Boom.