A better way to diet

September and January are the two biggest months for those of us in the fitness industry when it comes to new people coming in our doors. These are the months when people start seeking a fresh start, and want commit to a better way of eating and moving.

If weight loss, or diet clean up, is on the horizon for you, then I highly recommend a macro diet.

Serious athletes have long paid attention to their macros – short for macronutrients – and more recently health-conscious individuals who want to keep their weight in check have also jumped on board.

Macros, or macronutrients, are the carbohydrates, protein and fats found in our food. The idea with a macro diet is simple: instead of focusing on calories, you focus on getting a certain number of macronutrients for the day.

A typical recommendation for a macro daily diet is 40 per cent carbohydrates, 30 per cent protein and 30 per cent fats. However, it does depend on your age, size and activity level.

I have found that counting macros helps people make smarter choices. For example, instead of a 200-calorie snack of chips, they need to choose a protein, fat and healthy carb packed snack to meet their macros.

This type of plan is also flexible, allowing for weekends out with friends or vacations. This is a big win since most people stray off typical diets during these times.

People following macro diets tend to eat a little more protein than the average eater too, which helps with weight loss since protein requires more energy to digest than carbs or fat, and it dampens your appetite.

This type of eating also helps with the diet-diet-diet-binge cycle a lot of people go through with restrictive eating plans.

Let’s face it, we can only hold onto tight caloric restrictions for so long, then we break and then we binge. Afterwards the guilt seeps in and the diet is started again, along with this vicious cycle.

This is also a great program for people who have a bad relationship with food. With macro counting there aren’t “good” versus “evil” foods.

All foods can fit into your daily lifestyle, while teaching you how to eat your favourite treats in moderation instead of all-out cheat days.

A Sample Day of a Macro Diet

Target: 30% protein, 30% fat, 40% carbs

Sample diet taken from The Studio’s new 12-Week Transformation Program. A 12-week program that includes unlimited fitness classes, weekly coaching and a customized Macronutrient Blueprint so you start burning fat immediately.

Email: pj@thestudio.ca to book your complimentary Transformation Consultation.