Macronutrients for Weight Loss
Macronutrients are a fascinating concept; they are comprised of carbohydrates, protein, and fats. These are the very building blocks of our bodies and the right amount in the right way leads to a happier and healthier you. An even better idea behind these building blocks is that if they are consumed in the right amount they actually help and aid in sustained weight loss!
Now this is the maddening part about weight loss. While there are a few generalities you can make about weight loss such as, you should eat at a small caloric deficit, you should get some exercise etc, nutrition effects everyone differently. So it's always in your best interest to do some research and see how your food choices effect you personally.
A popular place to start is 40/40/20. This means that you get 40% of your daily calories from protein, 40% from carbohydrates, and 20% from healthy fats. Having a good balance of nutrients is key for a good plan. You can use an online food calculator to enter your caloric information and see a pie chart of what nutrients you're bringing in.
To very basically explain what the nutrients do.
Protein - Proteins are responsible for building and repairing your bodies tissues.
Carbohydrates - Carbohydrates provide energy for your body.
Fats - Fats provide energy, energy storage, insulation, and contour to your body.
Now remember this is a very basic, very simple, explanation of what the nutrients do. But this is why you don't want to get all of your calories from one nutrient and you also don't want to cut out a nutrient group from a diet plan, they all have an important role to play in your body's function.
As far as protein goes some good sources of protein are turkey, chicken, lean beef, and tofu. Good sources of carbohydrates are brown rice, whole wheat, grains, oats, and vegetables are another good source of carbs. For fats you don't want to take in trans fats or fried fats, but you want to take in healthy fats such as olive oil, natural peanut butter, the fats from nuts, and the fatty acids in fish. Something else to consider is that you want to get food that is processed as little as possible. The closer to the source your food is, the less additives will be found in the food.
Now this is the maddening part about weight loss. While there are a few generalities you can make about weight loss such as, you should eat at a small caloric deficit, you should get some exercise etc, nutrition effects everyone differently. So it's always in your best interest to do some research and see how your food choices effect you personally.
A popular place to start is 40/40/20. This means that you get 40% of your daily calories from protein, 40% from carbohydrates, and 20% from healthy fats. Having a good balance of nutrients is key for a good plan. You can use an online food calculator to enter your caloric information and see a pie chart of what nutrients you're bringing in.
To very basically explain what the nutrients do.
Protein - Proteins are responsible for building and repairing your bodies tissues.
Carbohydrates - Carbohydrates provide energy for your body.
Fats - Fats provide energy, energy storage, insulation, and contour to your body.
Now remember this is a very basic, very simple, explanation of what the nutrients do. But this is why you don't want to get all of your calories from one nutrient and you also don't want to cut out a nutrient group from a diet plan, they all have an important role to play in your body's function.
As far as protein goes some good sources of protein are turkey, chicken, lean beef, and tofu. Good sources of carbohydrates are brown rice, whole wheat, grains, oats, and vegetables are another good source of carbs. For fats you don't want to take in trans fats or fried fats, but you want to take in healthy fats such as olive oil, natural peanut butter, the fats from nuts, and the fatty acids in fish. Something else to consider is that you want to get food that is processed as little as possible. The closer to the source your food is, the less additives will be found in the food.
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