What's up RPer's. Now I know you are all trying to get fit, get bit, get healthy and build a great body.

But you Must understand that your nutrition is the backbone of how successful you will be in fitness, rather than the weight you re lifting. Trust me on this, diet is KEY!

Some of this is basic many of you may be new to the basics, but even if you know them it's important to go over them so you don't forget the fundamentals.

So here we go....

The Red Pill Guide To Nutrition: The Fundamentals of Calories & Macronutrients

Macronutrients or ‘macros’ combine together as units of energy, otherwise known as calories.

Calories are the very foundation of our sustenance. Calories are what keep us moving and are responsible for why we haven’t dropped dead, there’s never enough you can learn about them. I’m going to teach you what you should know.

Macronutrients

There are three macronutrients. Technically depending on who you ask there are five, the other two being fiber and alcohol. But for now we will focus on the three fundamental macros.

  1. Protein
  2. Fat
  3. Carbohydrates

What makes a macronutrient different than calories? Any food we consume is made up of macronutrients, being one of the three above: protein, carbs and fats. Each one holding a different amount of energy (or calories) per gram.

Vitamins and minerals do not have any calories but are important none the less.

Protein

Firstly we will begin with protein. Just because i’m mentioning protein first, don’t take it as a subtle hint that protein is more important, because it’s not. All macronutrients are equally important, they must be in equilibrium for the body to function optimally. Protein is actually highly overrated in regards to building big muscles and there have been many recent studies which prove that less is required for the same benefit, this is something that grinds my gears, but I won’t ramble now, I’ll save this for another time.

What Exactly Is ‘Protein’?

Protein is the building block of most physical matter in our bodies. Without protein the body cannot create more tissue and muscle. Protein helps the body prevent muscle from atrophy (becoming smaller/weaker) as calories drop below their caloric maintenance (TDEE). In terms of calories protein is 4 calories for every 1g. However, the energy spent through the digestion process will level out the amount of protein absorbed.

Protein is the basic building material of just about everything in your body. It helps us build more muscle, retain muscle on a caloric deficit, recover from our workouts more quickly and has the highest satiety factor while simultaneously requiring the most energy to digest reducing its caloric impact.

The official calorie count for protein is 4 calories per 1g of protein. You should know that because of the energy spent digesting protein it’s really closer to the 3 calorie range, but let’s stick with 4.

Sources Of Protein

Mostly meats, including fish, dairy and of course protein powders. Plant sources contain protein as well, in smaller amounts. Soy is a great source of protein if you are a vegetarian or vegan, with these types it is important to understand not as much protein is absorbed in the body as they are not as complete as meat. This doesn’t mean you can’t build muscle or lose fat on a vegan or vegetarian diet, obviously this is not true. However if you were aiming to hit 150 grams of protein, as a vegan it would be better to hit 170 just to be safe, if that makes sense.

Protein powders are great for making sure you are hitting your required daily needs. However, it is much better to get this from whole foods. Have protein powder as a backup rather than as needed supplement.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

A good amount of protein you should aim for if you’re trying to gain weight and add muscle is around 0.8 and 1g. If you’re losing weight, you really don’t need more than 1.8 to 2.2g kg. There have been speculations that high protein intake correlates to damage with kidney function, do not listen to this. With amounts up to even 400grams per day there’s no concrete evidence damage can occur. However I have to recommend a limit of 1.3 g per pound of bodyweight, only when on a cut. Why set a limit? That’s because protein is good, but more isn’t necessarily better. For one it is expensive and with very high protein intake constipation can be a very real side effect. Your macronutrients would be better spent on other beneficial carbohydrates or fats which will give your energy and fuel.

Fat

Fat is essential, it does so much good for our bodies, I hate how the word has negative connotations attached to it. People seem to subconsciously think it is bad because as a society we are always trying to lose fat, what if I told said you need to eat fat to lose fat.

What Exactly Is ‘Fat’?

Fat is required by the brain and most of your vital organs for proper function. Low-fat diets were a craze, but this was a phase,a phase of misinformation and scientific ignorance. Fats are so important that we actually need them to live, especially for hormone function. For men and women, a drop in testosterone can have significant effects on your sex function and drive, low fat diets are probably the worst thing you can do in terms of your sexual vitality and ability to maintain a healthy libido, especially as you age.

Fats have a whopping 9 calories per 1g of fat, more than double of protein, I guess this is why in the past low-fat diets logically made sense, however this was ignoring the fact that they are important for our life longevity, so in terms of benefit to cons, the benefits outweigh the cons massively as long as it meets requirements and the fat comes from a good healthy source, I’ll explain this shortly.

Sources Of Fat

Oils, specifically ones from the olive, avocado, coconut are incredibly healthy and rich sources of fat. They are usable with every sort of food, whether it be sweet or savoury. Nuts, avocados, omega-3 from fish – these are the source of fat which will benefit you bodies function. Saturated fats aren’t too bad, doesn’t have to be cut completely, but just understand that most should not come from the latter. But trans or hydrogenated fats are horrible, avoid these.

How Much Fat Do You Need?

If you are trying to gain weight and get huge, on average, 25% of your macronutrients coming from fat is a good ratio to start from. As an example take a healthy 60kg male wanting to bulk up. Let’s say 2500 calories were 500 above his maintenance and thus he would be gaining around 3500 calories in surplus each week, or 1 pound. This would then entail an average fat intake of 62.5, obviously, it doesn’t have to be this precise but it is a good starting point.

You do have to keep in mind that fat isn’t the best go to calorie. I would recommend keeping it higher because of decreases in carbohydrate intake, mainly for hormonal levels and bodily functions. 1g is 9 calories so it’s easy to overeat without trying to, so keep a close eye on fat intake, especially when cutting.

Carbohydrates

What Exactly Are Carbohydrates?

Fat and protein are required for survival. However, carbohydrates are more of a luxury. Without fat, you will eventually get sick. Protein has the same effect but also plus possible muscle and tissue atrophy. We are talking about extremes of course but the point still stands, protein and fat are essential macronutrients. Carbs, although important and beneficial it is something we can do without and still live well, to an extent.

Our bodies naturally prefer to prioritise carbohydrates as an energy source. Without carbohydrates, after a few days, you will feel tired, sluggish. Because most of us rely on carbs heavily to sustain our bodies, most of the foods we eat contain some sort of carb. After a few days,(around 72 hours) our body, which is craving sugar, will begin to use other forms of macronutrients and through a chemical process called glycogenesis, new sugar is born from these nutrients. This is why diets such as ketogenic ones can exist and be apart of a healthy diet.

I’m not saying don’t eat carbs because, in reality, this is difficult to do and not eating them doesn’t necessarily mean you are healthier, fruit which is all sugar are great for us!

If you don’t eat any carbs you’ll feel crappy for a few days while your body adjusts. Glycogenesis will then take place in order to turn other macronutrients into sugar to replace this energy source. I’m elaborating so much on why carbs aren’t even that necessary so why do we need them in the first place? Carbs refuel your muscles and energy levels quickly, very quickly, especially sugar. Also let’s be honest, they taste good. It’s important to remember that this lifestyle is about the long term. You can’t punish yourself by cutting them all out, what’s the point? It’s not fun or enjoyable so obviously you’ll quit, or just hate every minute of it.

Now don’t over do it, just understand how each macronutrient works uniquely and respect their ability and power to assist you in whatever your goals are.

Sources Of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates will generally mostly be found in all types of starchy foods: rice, pasta, bread, all vegetables and fruits. Opt for complex carbs, meaning slower digesting carbs, for more stable and slow released energy. Complex carbohydrates come from rice, fruits, and veggies, the healthy stuff. There are 4 calories in 1g of carbohydrate.

How Much Do You Need?

In terms of figuring out the amount of carbs, the easiest way to do this is just using the remaining calories and fill them up with carbohydrates, preferably prioritizing complex carbs. However, this isn’t necessary for fat loss.

What’s Next?

If you’re reading this, you now should have a basic understanding of what a calorie and macronutrients are. It’s up to you now to figure out how much you need every day based on your body composition and activity levels. There are some calculators and apps which will help you get started. For one, you will need a way to track your calories.

There are many approaches to counting calories. Since the most important aspect of fitness is longevity, I believe that the IIFYM approach is best. It’s best to have nutrition revolve around your life rather than your life revolve around nutrition.

Step 1 —>> ITFYM Calculator http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

Step 2: MyFitnessPal https://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Good luck,

Philip.

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