Creating a Nutrition Plan to Match your Goals
When we plan a financial budget, we have to consider our basic income and decide how much to allot for our expenses. When we create a meal plan, the process is similar to coming up with a budget, but we work backwards: we start by considering how much energy we need to spend each day to function and fuel our daily activities, and then we adjust our “income”—the food we eat—to meet those needs.
How much energy do we need?
The best place to start when calculating the total calories we should be consuming each day is finding our resting metabolic rate (RMR). RMR is the energy the body needs to simply survive, and it accounts for about 70 percent of the calories we expend each day. You can quickly estimate your basic caloric needs using RMR calculators available online; more accurate calculations can be conducted in a physician’s office using a machine that measures oxygen consumption or carbon dioxide output while in a rested, fasted state.
The next factor to consider is your non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT. These are activities that are not part of our organized exercise regimen. Do you have a standing desk? Do you tend to fidget or pace while taking phone calls? Do you have a job that requires standing, lifting, or a lot of walking? All of these activities burn calories, whether we wear a watch to track them or not. NEAT is also a fantastic way to add calorie-burning activity into our day. Dancing in the kitchen while the water comes to a boil or parking farther away from your destination can add a little bonus burn with little impact on our busy schedules. While there is no exact way to calculate NEAT, a general guideline is 250 calories a day expended for people who are more sedentary up to 500 calories a day for those who have daily tasks that are more demanding.
Finally, our exercise routine will burn calories that should be factored in as well. The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week. The calories we expend will vary quite a bit depending on our weight as well as the activity we choose. A 180-pound person may burn 150–250 calories in a half hour of weightlifting, 300–350 in circuit training, and 400–500 calories running.
Does this mean I advocate for all high-intensity cardio for weight loss? No. Strength training is just as important! Cardio does help burn calories, but building lean muscle through strength training will raise your metabolism (not to mention improve your functional movement and posture). The bonus? The more lean muscle you have, the higher your RMR will become.
If running or biking is not your thing, you can still get cardio through bodyweight exercises or by substituting high repetitions with lighter weights into your lifting routine to get that heart rate elevated. You’ll have to play around to find the right balance of strength and cardio for you.
How much energy are we taking in?
We’ve established how to find our RMR. We’ve considered our NEAT and we know generally how many calories we are burning on our active days. So what do we do now? This is the part that may be uncomfortable: we have to get honest with ourselves. Are we eating and drinking more energy than we are expending?
You will need to keep a food journal and track what you eat for a few days. All of it: the butter in the skillet, the sugar in your coffee, the ketchup with your French fries, the cheese sprinkled on your salad. It may not be a fun task, but it is very important to understand what your intake actually is as you prepare for change.
Chances are, as you examine your food journal, you'll see patterns and spot opportunities for easy cuts to your overall daily intake. For example, skipping the coffeehouse grande caramel macchiato in favor of a brewed cup at home with a tablespoon of caramel creamer will cut over 200 calories from your day (and save you money, too). Make two more similar substitutions a day, and you’ll be cutting over 3500 calories a week from your previous routine, or 1 entire pound of weight.
What kind of energy are we taking in?
At this point, we are ready to create a meal plan to support our dietary needs. The primary components of our diet, or our macros, are carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. We need all three to function successfully. The percentage of our overall intake allotted to each will vary from individual to individual.
Let’s talk a bit about what each type of macro does for us and how to decide how much we need of each.
Carbohydrates. Carbs supply us with quickly accessible energy. Carbohydrates are foods that get converted into glucose—the body’s main source of energy. Our brains need glucose to function and cannot readily get it from fats or proteins. Not all carbohydrates are created equal, however. You’ll want to focus on finding complex carbs that have higher fiber content, as they will not spike your blood sugar so quickly. Carbohydrates are also integral to fueling our bodies before and after high-intensity work. Each gram of carbohydrate is 4 calories, and most sources will tell you that you’ll need them for 40–65 percent of your daily calories.
Fats. Fats also provide energy, but through a somewhat slower process. Fats are also needed to synthesize hormones. Each gram of fat is 9 calories—more than twice that of proteins and carbs. So, while slower to process, fat is very efficient at providing long-term energy. Most nutrition guidelines will suggest 20–35 percent of your calories come from fats.
Proteins. Proteins are not a go-to source of energy for us, as they take significantly longer to transfer into energy than carbs and fats, but they are incredibly important in the healing and growth of our muscles. Proteins are also the key source of essential amino acids that our bodies cannot produce on their own. While our bodies can use 100% of the protein in an egg, and nearly all in milk and meats, they get half of the essential aminos they need from most vegetables and grains. This is not to say that diets that exclude animal products cannot obtain enough protein to get your essential amino acids, you’ll just need to combine your sources (legumes and grains) to get a complete protein. Like carbohydrates, proteins have 4 calories per gram. Guidelines for protein consumption vary greatly, with suggestions ranging between 10 and 35 percent.
The percentage of each of these macros you choose for your daily budget will vary depending on your body and your activity level, as well as which activities you choose. Below is a chart I created with some basic guidelines, but they are just that: guidelines. Working with a nutritionist is recommended for best results. The chart also includes a sample 1800 calorie daily meal plan to give you an idea of how you can hit budgetary goals for calories AND macros.
WHEN are we getting our energy?
Finally, when we eat our macros is just as important as what we eat. For example, I tend to run early to mid-morning. I’ll have a snack with carbs, protein, and little to no fat before my run, and again after. The carbohydrates give me the easily accessible energy I need to get the most out of my exercise, and the protein provides my muscles the ability to repair themselves and grow. I’ll save my fat-fueled meals for later in the day when I need to go longer periods between eating. Fats tend to help us feel satiated and full—great for when our activity is lower and steady, but not what you want tagging along for multiple miles of running or a HIIT workout. Again, as everyone is different, talking to a professional about your unique situation will help you achieve your best results.
Putting it all together
So to recap:
Finding your resting metabolic rate (RMR) should be your starting point.
Assessing your NEAT and exercise expenditures will assist you in understanding your caloric needs.
Adding lean muscle through strength training will aid in raising your metabolism.
Keeping a food journal for at least 3 days will help you see where cuts can be made and compare your caloric intake to your expenditure.
The percent and timing of our macros will depend on a variety of factors. General guidelines are available, but working with a professional is recommended for best results.
I’m always happy to chat with you individually about your goals and help you with the planning process as well.
I know this can seem overwhelming, but it does become intuitive over time through experience, learning, and some trial and error. You CAN do this! Remember, you are worth it!