Tracking Calories and Macronutrients
Tracking Calories and Macronutrients by Erin Jimenez
“You can’t stay lean and build muscle at the same time”
For 7 years I have been dieting, starving, and binge eating. I calculated every pound I have cut for my fights and I have gained and rapidly lost more than 100 pounds over the years to make weight. Other athletes cut more! In an effort to stay lean or “small” so that I have to cut less weight, I have prolonged periods of restricted caloric intake.
For the majority of people, the metabolism adapts to the prolonged calorie deficit by operating more efficiently. The body functions at lower energy expenditure and burns fewer calories. If proper dietary adjustments (i.e. reverse dieting) aren’t made to account for this slow down, the body will store extra calories in the form of fat. During extended dieting, important metabolic hormones become mis-regulated. These adaptations to long periods of calorie restriction can be reversed by fueling the body properly.
Maintaining an extremely low-calorie diet is not sustainable for athletic performance, long term health, function, and happiness. One of the best statements I have heard that finally hit me after years of trying to be both lean and strong is, “you can’t stay lean and build muscle at the same time.”
Getting your diet on track is harder than training for many people. Before I post more articles on how to get your diet together for optimal athletic performance, the first step is determining how many calories and macronutrients you need.
- Track how many calories you burn.
No, its not mandatory to know precisely how many calories you burn a day. However, we tend to overestimate how many calories we burn pushing too many pencils at work and even how hard we really work at the gym. There are options available aside from the Fitbit Charge HR (my personal favorite), like the BodyMedia Armband ($26.45 on Amazon) or the bodybugg calorie management system.
- Calculate how many calories you need.
Are you eating enough? Head to http://gymgeek.com/nutrition/nutrition-articles/macro-nutrient-calculator/. There, you will be guided on how to calculate your BMR to work out the total amount of calories you need on a daily basis. Then, you will work out your macronutrient ratios. Not sure what a macro is? Check this out: https://mynutrition.wsu.edu/nutrition-basics/
*Be sure to click on Strength Training. Unless you are cutting weight for a fight or weeks out from a bikini contest, this is the most sustainable plan for athletic performance and happiness.
Other macronutrient calculators are available:
https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutrients_calculator.htm
https://healthyeater.com/flexible-dieting-calculator
- Adjust macros according to your training schedule.
Reduce carbs on days you are not training hard and on rest days. On super intense days (doing my morning 5K, strength and conditioning, 2 striking classes, and sparring), you can follow the higher carb plan. For my plan, I eat 150-200g carbs on rest days, ~250g on typical training days, and up to 350g on super intense days. Everyone’s plan will differ depending on physical activity.
- Track your nutrition intake.
Consistently tracking your food will give you information about your eating habits and help you calculate your macronutrient ratios. One of the best apps out there is MyFitnessPal: https://www.myfitnesspal.com.
MyFitnessPal will show you how many grams of carbohydrates, fats, and protein you have eaten.
- “Trust the process.”
It’s a common misconception to believe you can punch in your age, weight, and height into a calculator and get the exact number of calories and macros you need to look like a superhero. This isn’t real. It takes more to get the results you want based on your body type (ecto/meso/endomorph), environmental influences (like stress), and metabolic differences (like changes in hormones). But, the first step is figuring out what your body needs and when it needs it.
Stay tuned for blogs on Fueling Your Workout and Eating For Performance.
