Macronutrients for Better Weight Management.

Beyond Calories, Understand Macronutrient for Healthy Living

Macronutrients and calories, are you on your weight management journey and confused about these two?

Well, let us improve our understanding of where calories come from. I’m sure it can help you on your health and fitness transformation journey!

What are Macronutrients?

My recent lifestyle change is first and foremost sustainable and meant to be my lifelong pursuit from here on.

And from this, I learnt about the Macronutrients in nutrition.

We should also understand where those calories come from the 3 macros, which are: carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

Instead of just looking at the calories our meal provides.

These three contribute to the calorie count and each has its benefits for our body system.

Carbohydrates: Our Body’s Main Fuel

Often simply called “Carbs”, are typically the primary source of energy in our diets. Our bodies break down carbs into simple sugars, and these nutrients form a significant part of what we eat every day. The most consumed staple carbs around the world are,

• Grains: Rice, oats, and barley
• Starchy Vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, pumpkins
• Fruits: Bananas, apples, berries
• Wheat: Bread and pasta

Each gram of Carbohydrate contains 4 calories and consumes a variety over time to obtain various micronutrients (minerals and vitamins). 

Carbs act as the primary energy source, and consuming the right portion presents a challenge.

Experts do not recommend consuming our daily calories from excessive carbohydrates. Over time, the body will convert excess energy from Carbs into adipose (fat) tissue.

The American Heart Association recommends eating three or more servings of fiber-rich whole grains every day.

Dietary Fiber: The Low-Calorie Carb

Dietary fiber, though a type of carbohydrate, provides minimal calories since our bodies can’t fully digest it. It comes in two forms:

Soluble Fiber: Slows digestion and helps stabilize blood sugar levels.
Insoluble Fiber: Adds bulk to stool, promoting regular bowel movements.

Both types improve gut health and keep you full longer, making fiber great for weight management. Just remember to drink plenty of water—fiber absorbs water, which helps it work effectively!

Proteins: Essential for Building and Maintaining Muscles

Now these might have Bodybuilders screaming all over it but trust me these are just as important for everyone as those trying to build muscles.

Proteins are made up of essential amino acids which are crucial for the body in building and repairing muscles. 

Even individuals on a plant-based diet should prioritize and ensure they obtain sufficient protein from various protein-rich plant sources. Sources of protein include:

• Meat: Chicken, beef, pork, and lamb
• Seafood: Fish, shrimp, crab, and mussels
• Eggs: Eggs
• Dairy: Cow milk, cheese, yogurt
• Plant-based: Chickpeas, peas, black beans, tofu, tempeh

Other plant-based protein sources include kinds of milk derived from soy or almond.

Each gram of protein also contains 4 calories, similar to carbohydrates.

Why is it so essential?

Remember what we said about how it is important to everyone, not just bodybuilders? 

If we do not consume sufficient of this particular macronutrient in our daily life then as we age, as our hormones reduced from our younger days, we will start losing some of that muscle mass, even quicker if we are not exercising consistently. 

Since another of our muscles’ functions is to protect our internal organs and help with our posture and structure, losing them is a serious problem as we age, which we surely do not want.

Building muscles and maintaining them would be one of the most important goals one can have as we age, so in our old days where we might not be able to exercise more intensively to be able to enjoy a healthier life.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8/kg body weight. But note that this is the minimum amount one should aim for daily.

For those who are actively exercising and working out, you may need to increase protein intake by up to 1.2/kg body weight, This will help provide your body with sufficient building blocks for muscle gains.

A little about Protein sources’ nutrition

For those trying to control their weight by cutting down on calories, we must consume more calories from Protein to minimize the decrease in our muscle mass. On average an adult should consume around 0.8g of protein per body weight, an example of this is let’s say I am currently 68kg, then the minimum protein I should consume in a day is 54.4g, which is around eating how much of the following food:

• Chicken Breast (~31g/100g) – ~176g / 1 cup of diced Chicken Breast
• Beef steak(~26g/100g) – ~209g / 1 inch Rib eye (yum)
• Eggs (~6g/ea) – ~9 eggs
• Shrimps (~24g/100g) – ~226 / 1-2 cups 
• Tempeh (~19g/100g) – ~286 / ~2 cups

Fats: Not your Enemy

This word gets so much negativity and is the main culprit for diseases such as High Cholesterol, heart disease, obesity, fatty organs, the list goes on.

During the 1960s, health experts began promoting low-fat diets to reduce heart disease and cholesterol levels. Consequently, manufacturers now label most processed foods in supermarkets as LOW-FAT — although they often contain high sugar levels — to sell them at a higher price under the guise of a healthier option.

While we should still cut back on eating too much fat in our diet from trans fat, or too much saturated fats, there are still healthy fat sources we should try to include in our diet to balance out our Macro intake.

It is crucial to pick healthy fats and be mindful of our daily intake. They provide a concentrated source of energy for the body when other more immediate sources deplete. Also aids in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) and hormonal production.

Fat Source, But Healthier:

• Vegetable Oils: Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, nut oil, and seed oil
• Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, and chia seeds
• Fatty Fish: Salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines

Fats that are rich in saturated fats such as lard and tallow, and trans-fats that are in most heavily processed food are considered to be less healthy. We should reduce the intake of these.

Fats are the most calorie-dense macro at 9 calories per gram of fat. All The more reasons we should choose healthier fat sources like nuts and fatty fish.

When cooking, we add less oil to avoid overeating on this macronutrient. Which will easily go over your daily intake calories if not careful.

Conclusion: Mastering Macros for Healthier Life

While it’s true that you might still have to estimate or count calories when on a calorie-deficit diet, the overall Macros do matter!

Don’t get overwhelmed if this is new information to you, aim to improve your diet by slowly adding or removing one of these suggestion at a time

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References

1. American Heart Association. (2024, September 5). Whole grains, refined grains, and dietary fiber. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/whole-grains-refined-grains-and-dietary-fiber  
2. Hu, F. B. (2015, June 18). How much protein do you need every day? Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-protein-do-you-need-every-day-201506188096