Introduction to Nutrition

Introduction to Nutrition

This is a very basic introduction to nutrition and sets out the guidelines for the three main food groups.

In order to calculate your proper macronutrient amounts, you'll need to know your lean body mass. Your lean body mass is calculated by the following equation: weight - (weight (body fat / 100)).

Protein

Eat 1 gram of protein for every 1 pound of lean body mass. If you weigh 200lbs and are 20% body fat, than your fat mass is 40lbs. Your lean body mass is 200-40= 160lbs. You should eat 160 grams of protein per day.

Tips:

• Eat mostly natural and lean proteins (fish, egg whites, etc.)
• Avoid higher fat and processed proteins (bacon, salami, etc.)

Carbohydrate

If your primary goal is fat loss, eat roughly the same amount of carbohydrates as protein per day, or 1 gram of carbohydrate for every 1 pound of lean body mass. The person in our above example should eat 160 grams of carbohydrates per day.  Try to avoid starchy carbs after 6pm unless you are training or playing sport such as football.

If your primary goal is building muscle, eat 1.5-2.0 grams of carbohydrate for every 1 pound of lean body mass. The person in our above example should eat 240-320 grams of carbohydrate per day.

Tips:

• Eat natural starches and whole fruits as your primary source.
• Avoid sugar and refined starches.
• Eat as many non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, carrots etc) as you wish as they don't significantly impact your caloric total.

Fats

Eat 1/4g to 1/3g of fat for every 1lb of lean body mass. In the above example, this person should eat (160g X1/4 to 1/3g/lb) = 40-53 g of fat per day.

Tips:

• Emphasize healthy fats as a by-product of your protein sources.
• Avoid trans-fats and excessive saturated fats.
• Eat as much fish oils or linseed oils as possible.

Meal Timing

Spread nutritional intake evenly over a minimum of 6 meals/snacks a day. Totals will vary somewhat, but do your best to spread nutrients out as evenly as possible.  In this example, this person should theoretically eat roughly 32g of protein, 32-64g of carbohydrate, and 8-11g of fat at each of 6 meals.

Tips:

• Make sure to eat one of those meals/snacks within 45 minutes of exercising.