Nutrition
We have all heard that “abs are made in the kitchen,” right?
But how much truth is really behind that?
A lot.
A shitton in fact.
This is what some consider the hard part. Let’s say a person signs up for the gym and is eager and willing. Well they can go to the gym and spend all the hours they want doing sit-ups and other exercises but when it comes time to refuel they fall short- quickly reaching for the first yummy thing they see.
“Fries? Sure! I mean after all I did just workout.”
And alas, the cycle continues.
So how do we break it?
I myself and my clients have experienced tremendous and continuous success in being conscious of the foods that we eat and in what quantities.
Clients who adhere to the appropriate meal proportions are:
- Leaning down in a matter of weeks
- Going from having 2pm crashes and hunger pains to sustained energy all day
- Noticing improved energy and mood
Just to name a few improvements.
Does all that sound great? Are you getting the cayenne and maple syrup ready now?
Save it for your hot sauce and pancakes.
This miracle concept that I am referring to isn’t the latest fad diet but rather a way of eating for life and it’s called Metabolic Typing.
What Is Metabolic Typing?
The science behind Metabolic Typing is that we all come from different ancestors that lived in different parts of the world. Therefore based on their habitat and climate they had different food sources available to them. Over thousands of years their metabolisms adjusted to process certain macro nutrient ratios for the foods they ate because that was all that they were eating. That was all they could eat.
Fast forward to the past 100 years- with the industrial revolution we have all these different foods available to us. We eat them because they’re tasty but our bodies don’t necessarily know what to do with them. Yes- our bodies do what they can with the foods we give them but it’s kind of like putting regular 87 fuel in a truck that requires diesel. Plus the fact that produce is sprayed with chemicals, animals are pumped with hormones and live in small crates. Obesity rates are higher and kids have diabetes. Our bodies are going haywire.
Metabolic Typing is the concept of finding what your type is and from there eating according to your macro nutrient (carbs, protein and fat) ratios. Let me be clear- filling your macros with pizza and twinkies won’t cut it. You have to make sure you are eating whole, organic, grassfed and pasture raised foods with lots of veggies and leafy greens. To learn more about why it is important to eat organic, grassfed and non-GMO visit The Weston A. Price Foundation.
How Do I Know What My Type Is?
You take a test. A simple written test. Contact me for the test from Paul Chek’s How-to Eat, Move and Be Healthy.
You may need to make some adjustments to the ratios depending on gains (muscles) and losses (fat) and also depending on how your body metabolizes each. There are three basic metabolic types and so what I have found works is adjusting the amount of macronutrients based on your type AND goals.
Metabolic Type Macro Ratios (Weston A. Price):
- Fast Oxidizer (protein) – 20 percent carbs, 50 percent protein, 30 percent fat
- Slow Oxidizer (carb) – 60 percent carbs, 25 percent protein, and 15 percent fat
- Balanced (combo) – 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat
How Many Calories Should I Be Eating?
If you are using My Fitness Pal then the app suggests calories for you based on your goals and activity level. Simply login and go to Settings > Goals and enter in the information requested. Another helpful tool for determining calorie intake is IIFYM.com.
Please note that if you use the latter and also enter your exercise into My Fitness Pal then My Fitness Pal will tell you that you can eat more calories based on your activity. This is not the case. IIFYM already takes the exercise you note into account when suggesting calories.
And lastly on this note for every 5lbs gained or loss you should re-adjust your caloric needs. AND every few months you should also make sure that your metabolic type hasn’t shifted due to your body healing and developing because you have been providing it with the proper nutrition.
How Do I Track My Macros?
Once you know your type and ratios then you can track your daily intake by using the FREE app My Fitness Pal– available for iOS and Android. (When you sign-up add me as a friend! My profile can be found here. That way you can see how I track food and what kinds of things I eat. Just remember- you are your own person so do not eat what someone else eats just because. Figure out what works for YOU!
Update your specific macros and calories by following the directions explained here.
The last step is simply determining the correct foods and proportions to fit your macronutrient needs and then preparing them so you have them ready when you’re hungry.
To figure out what foods work start entering your breakfast into My Fitness Pal. Once you have it all in there scroll to the bottom and click on the “Nutrition” button to see a pie chart that will show you your goal macro ratios and your actual macro ratios. From here adjust accordingly until you get the actual ratios to match up to your goals. For example lets say you add:
- some eggs (pastured raised [not pasteurized], organic eggs are the best)
- some veggies
- a carb like some whole grain toast, quinoa or a sweet potato
But when you look at your Nutrition chart you see your fat percentage is too high and your protein percentage is too low. Try having one less egg and adding a lean protein. Adjust the quantities and maybe ever the actual item you are having until everything matches up. Then move on to the next meal and then the next until your day is complete.
I recommend entering your foods into My Fitness Pal the night before- when you have just eaten so that when the time comes to eat you know exactly what you are having which sets you up for success.
Do I Need Any Special Equipment?
A couple of things:
- Food scale
- Some measuring cups so that you can ensure your measurements are exact
- Some containers to store your prepared foods in
I hope that this page has provided you with the tools you need to enjoy food and feel great while doing it by following the macro ratios suggested for your own body. If you have any questions just contact me and I will be happy to help advise and make suggestions! Of if all this seems like too much to figure out on your on I would love to provide you with nutritional suggestion services and accountability.
