Optimize Your Diet To Improve Your Energy And Body Composition

If you're ready to gain lean muscle and melt off body fat, while bouncing around with the energy of a toddler high on a lollipops, then you HAVE to have a basic understanding of macronutrients and the role they play in making sure you're not scraping your tired saggy self off the gym floor after your next group fitness class.

Optimizing your nutrition for fitness may seem complicated (and sometimes it is), but learning the basics, the way I will explain them, will help make their roles stick in your brain so you make quality choices moving forward.

What you eat and when you eat it will elevate all aspects of your physical performance.

Macros, short for MACRONUTRIENTS, are what we call protein, fats, and carbohydrates. This is what the food we eat is made up of. The ratios of Protein, Fats, and Carbs ultimately determine how well our bodies function and look.

• MACROS ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS THAT MAKE UP CALORIES.
  
• CALORIES MEASURE A UNIT OF ENERGY.
• MACROS ARE MADE UP OF CALORIES.

1 gram of Protein = 4 calories

1 gram of Carbohydrate = 4 calories

1 gram of Fat = 9 calories

Weighing and measuring our food is the only way to determine and adjust our ratios of how much protein, carbs, and fats we're getting daily.

In the beginning, it's important to track. Through tracking, you not only learn portions, which are out of control these days, but more importantly, you will learn about YOUR body and how it responds to different macro ratios.

However, this is how I want you to think of these 3 macros as far as function..

• HEALTHY FATS KEEP YOU SANE.
• CARBS GIVE YOU ENERGY.
• PROTEIN MAKES YOU PRETTY.

PROTEIN

Protein is the MVP! Every cell in the body regenerates via PROTEIN! That's right! It helps our bodies build and maintain muscle, makes our bodies tone, firm, and carry good body composition.

Having glowing skin, thick hair, and healthy nails also come from getting enough protein. Moreover, it helps us maintain proper blood-sugar levels when prioritized at each meal.

Hitting your protein goals daily should be your TOP priority!

CARBOHYDRATES

Carbs are soooo good! (Simply because digestion of carbs starts in our mouth.) Carbs give us energy for life. They help us crush our workouts and recover from them. They assist our brains, thyroid, and hormone function.

Carbs (that aren't immediately put to use) are stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver. Excess glucose (carbs) above this are converted to triglycerides which are stored in your fat cells.

Carbs are your body's primary source of energy and are vital for short, intense bouts of activity, such as sprinting or weightlifting.

Carbs often get a bad reputation, however, it's not carbs that are not the culprit for weight gain. It's overeating processed carbs void of nutrients that tend to thinken our thighs and spill over into a muffin top.

FATS

Fat balance is crucial. Healthy fats are imperative for a healthy menstrual cycle, vitamin absorption, and optimal hormone function. Fats make cholesterol and cholesterol is the precursor for sex hormone production and regulation. Healthy fats also protect and support optimal brain health and function!

FIBER

It's worth noting that daily fiber intake should stay between 25-40 grams. So serve up a daily fruit and have veggies with each meal. Fiber helps to regulate bowel movements, maintain healthy cholesterol levels and maintain a healthy weight.

Quality and Quantity - Micronutrients

While sadly, yes it is true that if you lower calories to less than the amount of calories you expend in a day you will in fact lose "weight." However, what most people fail to consider or aren't explained is that yes you will drop pounds, but are you protecting the quality of your body composition?!?

1200 calories of Snickers is 1200 calories, but do you think that will create the same body as eating 1200 calories of chicken?

Shocker, It in fact, WILL NOT!

Eating a diet of "dead food" will make you feel like death, promoting inflammation, pain and increasing your risk of heart disease and cancer. Man-made, manufactured frankenfood loaded with artificial flavors and coloring, preservatives, and shelf life extenders will promote illness, period.

If you want to look at your body in the mirror with a 'hell yeah smirk' and envious energy levels, then at least 95% of the food you put in your mouth should be whole foods. Eat mostly "ingredients" versus reading the label to check the ingredients.

Okay okay, I've got your attention... You wanna know how much to eat, don't cha?

FIRST - Download any food tracker App. Weigh and track your food over the next 3-7 days. Get your average daily calories.

SECOND - A simple easy-to-use guide that I suggest on figuring out how much calories you SHOULD be eating each day is the TDEE Guide (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). You can check that out here: https://tdeecalculator.net/

* side note, this is just a reference point, NOT a crystal ball!

*second side note, be very honest on your energy output. If you workout 1 hour a day and sit at a desk the rest of it, you're not "extremely active" no matter how hard your workouts are.

Punch in your details... Age, height, energy expenditure, and POOF it will give you your daily maintenance calories.

If you're overeating, welp, you probably already knew that. Slowly lower calories each week until you're in a 20% deficit for fat loss.

If you're drastically under-eating, having a plan of adding back in calories in increments may be smart. If you're confused or still suffering from symptoms, consider hiring a nutritionist or health coach.

HOLD ONTO YOUR PANTS GUYS.... (MAJOR WISDOM NUGGET ON ITS WAY..... FOLLOWED BY A MIC DROP)

*If your goal ranges anywhere between losing lots of weight, all the way to lean and sexy...like Instagram model abs and a perky toned tooshie... you can't get that accomplished by restricting the restricted!! That's like saying I killed the dead.... If you're already in a caloric deficit, your attempts at a diet will fail you.

SAY WHAT???

That's right my friend, you must earn your right to diet! https://laurenvalentino.com/have-you-earned-the-ability-to-diet/

Focus on stability first.

Challenge yourself to eat 95% Whole Foods!

You are the real thing babe! And you deserve to eat real food. Our bodies naturally know how to process real, live food. I can't wait to show you the transformation that lies ahead of you.

By fuelling your body with real, live, perfectly planned, and balanced micronutrients you will experience these benefits and so many more.

Don't wanna travel this path alone?!?

Hundreds of other women didn't want to either. We developed Fit Foodie as your savior. FF isn't just a meal plan, it's a way of life. It's a way of showing up for yourself with self-respect. Knowing that the best, strongest, brightest, glowing version of YOU comes from nourishing your cells with vital nutrients that come from the source of our earth. 

The best expression of your life force is worth more than what is offered by fast food! Join us here: https://www.whollyfueled.com/fit-foodie/

Have questions? Let us help.