Macr-oh no’s Part One: Basic Macro Counting

Macr-oh no is exactly how I feel when I think about counting macros and trying to figure out how many of each I need. So as I explore macros and their counting, I’ll be posting in a series to hopefully help guide you, my readers! To start off, what are macros?

What are macros?

Macros, or macro-nutrients, make up everything that we eat, the building blocks. The three macro-nutrients are protein, fats, and carbohydrates. Depending on your goals, you will have different amounts of these macros.

But carbs are bad!

NOOOOOOOOOO! You. Need. Carbs. To. Live. Bottom line. The fad diets that tell you to eat zero carbs or you will be fat as a whale are lying to you. Your body uses carbs as brain food and straight up energy. Without energy, you’re not going to be able to get anything done, and definitely wont be crushing any weights in the gym. You need enough carbs to function and have energy, but having an overabundance can spike your blood sugar and then you’ll be hangry. As an adult, you cannot function on a truly zero carb diet. Children however are different. Many times a low-zero carb diet is recommended to control seizures in young children.

But why should I eat FAT????

Don’t eat fat. Eat fatS. Avocado, milk, lean meats. Fats also provide your body with energy and assist your immune system and nervous system. Again, too much fats aren’t going to get you anywhere. Any fats your body doesn’t use is going to be stored for use later in the form of, you guessed it, FAT! That also means that when you don’t eat enough fats, your body will begin to use what you have stored. Its a tricky balancing act.

I NEED ALL OF THE PROTEIN TO GET SWOLE.

Yes and no… your muscles need protein to recover after a workout and build muscle. Consuming protein also helps satiate hunger for longer because of its structure. However, protein isn’t a great source of energy. So if you eat a ton of protein and nearly no other macros, you’re going to be lethargic and feel like you have no energy. Because you don’t.

So how do I actually use this information about macros?

When counting macros, you want to pay attention to the macros more than the calories. If your macros are in check, the calories will follow. Calories matter more where they come from than how many you have.

A big selling point of counting macros is that NO FOOD GROUP IS OFF LIMITS. All food is made of the three macro-nutrients. One thing I have always struggled with is the restrictions dieting causes. I’m not good at rules when it comes to food. With macros there is no cheat day! *gasp!* Because you don’t need one!!!! If you want to eat something not so healthy, do it. The macros will still account for it. If you want to eat an entire day of just toast and mac n cheese, have fun. There’s flexibility in how you “spend” your macros, unlike counting calories you cant spend them all on french fries and keep going. Keeping your macros in check will help keep you on the path to your goals.

So what does this look like?

Here is what my day in food has looked like. I use MyFitnessPal to track my food.

 

Yes, my macros are off. But not a ton, remember I’m still learning too! Look at what I ate today though. I ate like I normally would. I might even have another snack tonight before bed. I might have some gelato for dessert that has been calling my name from the freezer. Macros let you do that.

So what combination of macros do I need?

As I mentioned earlier, everyone is different. Find a macronutrient calculator online. IIFYM has a good one and so does bodybuilding.com (if you haven’t noticed, I use bodybuilding for everything under the sun plus some).

Let me know what you’re doing!

I like to hear from my readers. I like to know what works for them, things I can try and pass on to others. I like to learn!

 

 

Sources:

https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/from-here-to-macros-4-steps-to-better-nutrition.html

https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutrients_calculator.htm

Food is Fuel. And I Like Food.

I. Love. Food. Like a ton. I could almost be a food blogger with how much I cook and bake and eat out. (Do you guys want me to post some recipes? Let me know in the comments!)

Dieting DOES NOT WORK FOR ME. I love food too much. Being told what I can or can’t eat just makes me cranky and I just end up stuffing my face with every food I see. SO, with that being said, I’m going to do a little series of posts about how I eat and what I do to balance it all out (science included of course!)

Lets begin.

I eat multiple times a day. Probably about 5 times a day if I’m at work. If I’m at home or running errands that day, its more of a constant stream of snacks into my mouth. This is something that was and still is very hard to balance between my boyfriend and I. He eats full meals. 2-3 per day. He’s a guy, he blinks enough times in a minute and looses 5lbs. One way I make this work out is by eating my meals around his, and just having a smaller portion when he eats. It’s actually worked pretty well when I’m home. When I’m working, that’s a whole other mess we haven’t gotten the hang of yet.

I eat a lot of protein and a lot of salad. I really really love salad. I don’t know why because I’m such a boring salad eater (lettuce, carrots, croutons, and Italian dressing). But I will crave salads. So I usually eat a huge one when I’m at the hospital working. We eat a lot of chicken here because its cheap and were young, broke 20-somethings. I drink protein shakes after my weightlifting sessions and those are mixed with almond milk, so more protein. Between the protein and the salads I drink a lot of water and green tea. I always have a water bottle with me. I always have purse snacks (I get hella hangry hella fast).

Nutritionists actually recommend eating 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day rather than 3 big meals. Eating some protein at each of those meals will help you get your protein for the day and also keep you full. Eggs, avocados, and oatmeal are also supposed to help keep you full. A lot of times I will eat scrambled eggs for breakfast. A nice dose of protein to start the day! There was even a study done where women who ate a 2 egg breakfast, ate less calories over the next 36 hours. Add some oatmeal and you’ll get some fiber and more protein!

So what does a day of eating look like for me?

Meal 1:

• scrambled eggs (usually 3)
• a smoothie with berries, yogurt, and a banana

Meal 2:

• Carrots or an apple
• granola bar

Meal 3:

• nice big salad

Meal 4:

• grilled chicken
• applesauce
• usually a dessert

Meal 5:

• mac n cheese or some other carb-full dish
• broccoli

Now that’s just a general idea. Every day varies. I eat a LOT of different foods because if I don’t I get super bored and lose interest in eating at all.

I do like to keep a log of my food and water intake. I use myfitnesspal for the food and for water I like to use MyWater. MyWater is nice because you can add drinks other than just water and it will calculate those into your daily intake accordingly. Both apps sync with the apple health app which I use for tracking my workouts and steps and literally everything else in my life.

Every once in a while I do have a calorie heavy, unhealthy day. Like today. I ate junk today. Nothing was satisfying! That’s okay though. I work hard in they gym and do well with eating a relatively healthy and balanced diet. A day here or there of gorging myself isn’t the end of the world that I would have thought it was a few months ago. This is actually my macros and calories from today. I didn’t even work out (I worked at the hospital which is exercise in itself!)

Next up will be a nice dose of nutrition science and muscle building!

 

Preworkout, Creatine, and BCAAs. OH MY!

We’ve all heard about supplements. Seen them in our gym, seen them on TV, seen them in the store. But what do they do? Do you need them? Can’t you just eat a balanced diet?

You could. But if you want to lift heavy and make gains, supplements will be your best friend.

I’m only going to go through the supplements I use. I use them because I know about them and they work for me. There are TONS of supplements out there on the market. My suggestion? Go beyond this post. Do your research. Try a few things. See what you like or don’t like. But most importantly, remember supplements are an investment into your health. Don’t go for the cheapest product because its cheap. Not all companies have your best interests in mind and will add whatever they want because they can (most supplements are not regulated by the FDA) and it costs them less. Cheaper is definitely not always better. I’m also not saying you need to spend $50+ on each supplement. You can do this affordably.

I’m going to go over the 3 supplements I take other than protein (we will get to that later). Let’s get started.

Pre Workout Supplements

Pre workout supplements are a powder that you mix into water (usually in a blender bottle of some type for best mixing). This supplement will give you energy to power through a workout. They are designed to increase your endurance and energy so you can lift harder for longer. Many also aid in lean muscle gains.

But whats in it?

Generally pre workouts have four main components. Some may also contain BCAAs, but more on those later.

Pre workouts contain:

• Caffeine
• Creatine
• Beta-Alanine
• Nitric Oxide Boost

Caffeine is a stimulant. It is going to help you focus harder on your workout and get more done.

Creatine helps build muscle by sending more energy to the cells and then to the muscles. I’ll go more in depth on this later.

Beta-Alanine protects your body from damage caused by lactic acid build-up. It works by increasing the level of carsonine, reducing your body’s acidity. Sometimes Beta-Alanine is called CarnoSyn. Some people feel a strange warm, tingly sensation when they first use pre workouts with Beta-Alanine. This is completely normal. I felt it maybe the first and second time I took it. I never felt it again. Even after not taking it for a LONG time and restarting.

Nitric Oxide Boost is a mixture of vitamins and minerals that aid in the production of Nitric Oxide in your body. Nitric Oxide dilates your blood vessels to increase blood flow for a better workout.

Is a pre workout good for me?

It honestly depends on the person. If you have bad anxiety, panic attacks, heart problems, or are very sensitive to caffeine, you might want to stray away from taking a pre workout or take one with no caffeine (or less caffeine).

As mentioned above, read the labels! Some pre workouts from unreputable sources will put dangerous stimulants in their product. Some names to stray away from are yohimbe, synephrine (cousin to ephedrine), and dimethylamylamine (also known as DMAA or geranium extract). DMAA has actually been banned as a stimulant, unfortunately doesn’t mean you wont find it.

With pre workouts you have to drink more water than you normally would as they work like a diuretic and signal your kindeys to offload water like crazy. Yes they will make you pee. A lot.

You are however getting more than just caffeine in a pre workout. You’re going to get more nutrients than just chugging a red bull or coffee before working out. You’re going to be more alert and focused on your workout and your body will have more power with less oxygen (anabolic).

When do I take it?

Take pre workout 20-30 minutes before a workout. This gives it enough time to get into your body and do its job fully.

Watch your caffeine intake on days where you take pre workout. The American Heart Association recommends staying under 400g of caffeine per day. Most pre workouts contain 400g, so be mindful and don’t overdo it. Caffeine jitters wont help your workout any!

BCAAs

BCAAs stand for Branched-Chain Amino Acids. These are essential amino acids that are needed in your diet because your body doesn’t synthesize them naturally. Your muscles require protein to grow, BCAAs aid that process.

Some Science!

Proteins are macromolecules constructed of long strands of amino acids. There are 8 amino acids the body cannot naturally produce.

• iso-leucine
• leucine
• lysine
• methionine
• phenylalanine
• threonine
• tryptophan
• valine

Your body cannot make this. You must ingest these in your diet. Your body can make histidine and arginine. These two are sometimes considered essential amino acids for children because their growing bodies cannot synthesize it fast enough.

BCAAs work to increase lean mass and performance. The amino acids included in BCAAs are valine, leucine, and iso-leucine.

It is thought that BCAAs move through the body to the brain to decreate serotonin production, lowering mental fatigue. Serotonin creates a sense of tiredness. Without that sense of tiredness, more energy!

BCAAs act as nitrogen carriers, assisting muscles in synthesizing other aminos needed for anabolic muscle action. Anabolism is the synthesis of molecules to create simpler molecules with the storage of energy. They also stimulate insulin production allowing circulating blood sugar to be taken up by muscle cells to use as energy, promoting amino acid uptake. They are anabolic and catabolic due to their ability to significantly incorporate protein synthesis, facilitate hormone release (such as growth hormone (GH), IGF-1, and insulin as well as maintain a favorable testosterone to cortisol ratio). They can also be considered anti-catabolic because they help prevent protein breakdown and thus prevent muscle loss.

But what are those individual amino acids?

Valine is closely related to leucine and iso-leucine in structure and function. They don’t really have a useful biochemical reaction but they are useful for determining the structure of proteins due to their hydrophobic (avoids water) property. Other than suplements, valine can be found in soy flour, cottage cheese, fish, meats, and vegetables.

Leucine is also hydrophobic, thus a structural element. It provides ingredients for manufacturing other essential biochemical components in the body. Some for production of energy, stimulants to the upper brain, and making you more alert.

Iso-leucine is a member of the aliphatic side-chain amino acid family composed of extremely hydrophobic biochemicals that are found primarily in interior proteins and enzymes. Iso-leucine also provides ingredients for other essential biochemical components in the body, like leucine. It appears to have no other significant biochemical role than incorporating proteins into enzymes where their main purpose is to dictate the tertiary structure of the macromolecules.

So should I take BCAAs?

Yes. 100% yes. There is no side effect to taking BCAAs. They are needed by your body for daily functions. They must be consumed in your diet. BCAAs will result in measurable gains in strength and muscularity. If you take them before and during a workout they will increase your performance and delay fatigue, letting you lift longer and heavier.

Creatine

Creatine is a naturally occuring substance. Creating turns into creatine phosphate in the body. Creatine Phosphate helps create ATP (adinosene triphosphate), which gives energy for muscle contraction.

If it occurs naturally why take it?

Yes, it is created naturally, but when you supplement with creatine you will see a 20% increase in muscle PCr (phosphocreatine or Creatine Phosphate) which means more ATP and more ATP means more energy. See where I’m going here?

Once creatine is taken up by the muscles from the bloodstream ti gets a hich energy phosphate attached to it turning it into PCr. The high-energy phosphate is a critical component. This high-energy phosphate is donated to create the ATP which is then used for the muscles rapid energy for muscle contraction.

Creatine is essentially a protein. It draws water from the blood and the space outside muscle cells (interstitial fluid) into the muscle through osmosis. This increases the cell volume and causes the cell membrane to stretch, thought to initiate long-term increases in muscle growth and strength through greater protein synthesis.

Creatine also increases the number of satellite cells in muscle fibers. Satellite cells are basically muscle stem cells. Bigger muscles are created by more satellite cells being added to existing muscle fibers.

It also increases growth factor insulin like growth factor-I (GF-I). GF-I is critical in initiating processes in muscle cells that lead to enhanced muscle growth and strength. Creatine also lowers myostatin. Myostatin is a protein that limits muscle growth. Less myostatin, more muscle growth.

Okay. So what do you use?

I use all three. I take my preworkout before I go to the gym. Then I drink a blender full of water. Next I drink my BCAAs mixed with my Creatine in 16oz of water.

 

My preworkout is Cellucor C4 Sport in Blue Raspberry (although it also comes in Fruit Punch which is equally as delicious) ($22)

My BCAAs are from FitMiss. They are also Blue Raspberry (I might like that flavor just a little!) ($18)

My Creatine is Micronized Creatine Powder from Optimum Nutrition. Its unflavored because I mix it with my BCAAs. ($9)

Total for all three was less than $50. Look around. You can find them on Amazon, at Walmart, a bunch of places. If you’re worried about prices buy one at a time.

Hopefully this serves as a great building block to better lifting!

 

 

I receive no kickbacks of any sort from my links. These are products I am promoting entirely of my own choice, because I actually use them and love them and hope you will too.

 

Sources:

http://www.muscleandfitness.com/supplements/build-muscle/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-creatine?page=3

http://www.webmd.com/men/creatine#1

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bcaa2.htm

http://www.suppsrus.com.au/blog/supplememntsation/pre-workout-supplement

http://www.vitacost.com/blog/sports-and-fitness/sports-nutrition/the-pros-and-cons-of-pre-workout-supplements.html

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