Counting Calories is a thing of the Past

Weight loss can be so simple yet it is so difficult for a lot of people. Anyone can be a fitness expert in a weekend certification and with all the different weight loss shakes, pills and programs more and more people have become “coaches” and try to sell these products to friends and family. A lot of people are found asking themselves “where is the credibility, where are the true experts?” An easy answer to this is to find a fitness professional that has a history in the industry and can show you some proven results with real people they have worked with and not just photos from the internet. With some real changes in your nutrition and some exercise, you don’t need a ton of pills and fancy drinks all day to lose weight.  You want to make sure your new plan is realistic and you can maintain it long term and it becomes a new way of life for you, not just a quick fix. One way you can stay on track is what people believe is to count calories. Calories “count” but just counting calories is not going to help you on your journey to losing weight.

Very few people are accurate at calorie-counting. Most people just counting calories become very frustrated and believe they’re eating only 1500 calories per day and get discouraged that they still can’t lose weight and don’t even realize they are actually eating 2500 calories and way off their carb and fat grams. Here is an easier way for you to become an expert on what you eat and to help you lose weight by counting macronutrients. There are only 3 types of Macronutrients I would like you to learn how to count (carbs, fat, protein). While calories determine weight gain and weight loss, macronutrients determine where that weight gain or weight loss comes from. For instance, weight loss can come from fat loss, or just as easily from muscle loss depending on the macronutrient composition of your diet. An easy way to think about it is this: Calories determine how heavy you are, macros determine how heavy you look.

By determining the appropriate number of grams of each macronutrient you should eat daily you are automatically controlling your calorie intake at the same time. Multiply your body weight by 10 to obtain your goal daily calorie intake. Example 180lbs your calorie intake would be 1800.

Now we are going to break down those 1800 calories into a ratio of 40% protein, 30% carbs, and 30% fat. To figure out our protein intake we will first take our daily calorie goal of 1800 calories and multiply it by 40% since 40% of our calorie intake will be from protein. This gives us 720 calories from protein. Now since we know protein is 4 calories per gram, we’ll divide those 720 calories by 4 to get our daily gram goal for protein. 720/4 = 180 grams of protein. Now repeat this process for carbs and fat. Carbs: 1800 x 30% = 540 calories / 4 calories per gram equals 135 grams of carbs daily. Fat: 1800 x 30% = 540 calories / 9 calories per gram equals 60 grams of fat daily. So a 180-pound individual would need 180g protein, 135 g carbs, and 60g fat daily to support their fat loss and body transformation goals. This is so much better then counting calories as it ensures you are getting a balance of each major nutrient. If you were only counting calories your diet could be very imbalanced. If you ate 1800 calories of snicker bars each day you’d hit your calorie goal but feel horrible and be way over your fat goal for the day. I suggest plugging your food in the “Lose it!” app on your smartphone and you will find this a quick and easy way to track it. Counting macronutrients is the most accurate and most convenient way to hit your numbers and transform your body quickly and efficiently. You have to become your very own expert with this and no one is better than you because you know your body. Don’t let it be so confusing and don’t break the bank on products that you don’t need.

Christina Rondeau is a Fitness Guru, Professional Fighter, and owner of Rondeau’s Kickboxing. She can be reached at info@rkblive.com for expert advice on fitness. www.rkblive.com