My Macros: How to start tracking your food and what you need to know

MY

MACROS

HOW to start tracking your food and what you need to know Jessica Gallant

Hi friends, first things first: Thanks for being here.

INTRO

I want this book to empower you to learn new materials and give you the confidence to apply these teachings to your goals. I want to show you how to start tracking your food & how a flexible approach to nutrition is one of the most overlooked components to creating sustainable habits & long lasting results.

I’m here to give you good, general information & advice. Whether you’re an aspiring bodybuilder, coach, or someone who just wants to understand how to start tracking your food-this book includes what I consider all the essential nutrition information you need.

I’ve spent the last several years seeking expertise & am now an ambassador for Clean Health Fitness Institute, where I’ve earned several performance nutrition and training certifications and worked with some of the most experienced coaches from all over the world. I’m here to share some of my learnings & first hand experience as a competitive athlete and coach.

I am not a medical doctor, I have no PhD, & I am not a dietician. I am not here to address specialized health needs or provide a rule book for your nutrition. I won’t cover every facet of nutrition, either.

But don’t be disappointed- that only means I’ll use a little less scientific jargon (: I know what it’s like to be a beginner & have athletic aspirations, wonder what my macros should be, & pursue fitness goals with no clarity.

I also know what it’s like to struggle with an “off season” and find a more flexible regimen as a bodybuilder.

I’d love to tell you this book will change your life and GUARANTEE insane results-but I can’t. Only you can determine those things. This book is what I hope will become a valuable tool. But like all tools, they cannot do the work for us.

I’ve also included the recipes and macros for my most frequently rotated meals. (Also, I am not a professional chef-which means these meals require as much as skill as being able to toss food into a bowl.)

Consider these meals a template. After all, the beauty of learning macros, is that you’ll learn to identify how to swap and replace foods based on your personal preference and needs. (You do NOT need to eat asparagus and chicken if you hate it!)

Anyone can achieve short term success by blindly following a meal plan. But I want you to uncover new skills that help you discern your own food selection and set your own nutrition goals.

Through coaching clients of many levels & my own personal experiences, I think there is a STRONG argument that always being fixated on specificity, rules or rigid plans surrounding nutrition, can be more detrimental than beneficial.

While we do have to work to stay organized and educate ourselves, we don’t need to punish ourselves towards a goal.

There is not one exact approach to nutrition that will cater to everyone’s needs or GOALS. And honestly, your goals will likely change throughout your life. Which is why I so heavily emphasize self awareness as your greatest tool.

If you have a basic understanding of energy balance, macros and nutrition-you can use this knowledge as concisely or as loosely as you want, while practicing other habits that are also important to you.

SO HERE IT IS-my attempt to add value to an industry that can be extremely loud & dogmatic. And to be honest, I have struggled to feel like this book was marketable or sexy enough. But I’m going to trust that hard work, and unbiased teachings are sufficient. I want this book to offer you HOPE & insight into a nutrition regimen that is NOT restrictive and burdened with rules-just strategy and self awareness.

Throughout this book I share several hypothetical examples to help you understand different ways to use macro tracking-& ultimately help you develop more trust in your discernment & make informed decisions, rather than being fearful of certain foods or glorifying others.

A trusting relationship with yourself is how I define confidence. And I fully believe one of the best ways we inherit confidence is through education.

DEDICATION This book is dedicated to my spouse, Mike.

You adjusted my macros on our first gym date. You gently encouraged & lead by example which led me to experience a liberating relationship with food, and ultimately myself.

I love you.

1………………….....................................ENERGY BALANCE 2…………………..................................... COMMON DIETING EXPERIENCES 3…………………………………………….MACROS 4………………………………………….....WHAT SHOULD MY MACROS BE? 5……………………………………….…....SETTING YOUR MACROS (+ easy math & flexible options) 6……………………………………….…....COMMON NUTRITION QUESTIONS 7………………………………………….....MEALS WITH MACROS (some of my year-round staples)

Chapter 1 :

Energy balance

“Energy Balance? Aren’t we here to learn about macros?”

YES, Consider this your first step! Energy balance refers to your calories in vs. calories out. (You may see kilojoules as a unit of energy measurement, too. 1 calorie = 4.2 kilojoules. They represent the same thing.)

It’s worth saying: if you do not monitor or acknowledge your calories, it does not invalidate the law of thermodynamics or become inapplicable to you. (: CALORIES IN = refers to our daily energy INPUT (food you put into your mouth) CALORIES OUT = refers to our daily energy OUTPUT (Exercise, breathing, resting, fidgeting, EVERYTHING.) *also referred to as TDEE: total daily energy expenditure. Your BMR (basal metabolic rate) makes up 60-70% of this energy expenditure! Your BMR is the amount of calories your body burns JUST to stay alive in a rested state-or in other words “keep the lights on.”

FIRST in order to know “what our macros should be”, we need to determine your general calorie needs and identify your daily maintenance calorie range. (Calories in) In other words, the amount of calories/energy you need to stay the same. A good place to start to determine your daily calorie needs, is to get an estimate of your daily energy output. (Calories out) In other words, how many calories your body uses every day.

Let me spare you a headache of math formulas to get an estimate on your TDEE / Calories OUT: https://tdeecalculator.net EXAMPLE: Based off her results using the TDEE calculator, Katie’s estimated TDEE is approximately 2,200. In order to confirm this is accurate, Katie will track her normal food choices, using a tracking app (I like My Fitness Pal) & will aim to hit 2,200 calories every day for 1-2 weeks. (with no specific MACRO budget yet) She will monitor her weight &/or monitor how her clothes fit, and/or monitoring her waist measurement. If Katie sees little to no change after by adhering to an approximate budget of 2,200 calories, We can confirm accuracy that her daily maintenance calorie range is indeed approximately 2,200/day. *small weight fluctuations occur daily and will depend on: sodium intake (which can make us more water retentive) whether or not we’ve had more or less carbohydrates, whether or not we’ve had a complete bowel movement, stress levels, and whether or not we’ve had a full nights sleep. It is not uncommon to fluctuate more or less 5 lbs/ 2.3 kilo between morning and night. This is why we want 1-2 weeks worth of data when tracking & weighing yourself consistently at the same time of day. (I like 2 weeks of collecting data) SO-Just because you’re up 1 lb the next day does not necessarily mean you’re in a caloric surplus.

“WHAT IF WE DISRUPT ENERGY BALANCE?” You change! You can influence your energy balance by changing your energy INPUT (eating more or less) or changing your energy OUTPUT (moving more or less) How you choose to influence your energy balance will depend on your goal. *It is typically more reliable to track energy input (your food) because we can ensure greater accuracy. Often times electronic devices like watches or your gym cardio equipment can be highly inaccurate with the energy output/“calories burned” feature. Plus, we do not only “burn calories” when we exercise. Remember our body utilizes energy 24/7.

CALORIE SURPLUS + vs CALORIE DEFICIT + Calorie / Energy Surplus : (BUILD MUSCLE!) If we consume MORE energy than what is required for our body to stay the same, our body will adapt by changing. This change will be usually be weight gain (not necessarily synonymous with fat gain.) This creates an anabolic environment.

This is my personal favorite phase. (: Generally an increase of 10-15% of your maintenance calories is a good place to start when trying to GAIN.

- Calorie / Energy Deficit : (LOSE FAT!) If we consume LESS energy than what is required for our body to stay the same, our body will adapt by changing. This creates a catabolic environment.

This change will usually be weight loss (not necessarily synonymous with fat loss) *Generally a reduction of 15-20% of your maintenance calories is a good place to start when trying to LOSE.

Chapter 2:

Common Dieting Experiences

PLATEAUS: If you’ve ever dieted (been in a calorie deficit), chances are you’ve probably experienced a plateau-where your body stops changing. Our body’s job is to adapt to it’s environment. It has several mechanisms in place to adapt & maintain energy balance (homeostasis) Especially in times of scarcity (too little food) This might be frustrating when trying to lose weight, but let’s learn one reason why we plateau: After an extended period of time being in a calorie/energy deficit, or being in a severe deficit, ONE of your body’s defense mechanisms is to adapt by adjusting the rate of its metabolic functions in order to prevent any further change-Known as metabolic adaptation. In other words, your metabolism “slows down” as a means to accommodate the reduced amount of food/calories and you plateau/stop losing weight. *to learn more about the various defense mechanisms that occur when we diet aggressively or for long periods of time, I highly suggest “Fat Loss Forever” written by Layne Norton & Peter Baker It is generally recommended that a fat loss phase/dieting phase/calorie deficit should NOT exceed 12 consecutive weeks. If you are chronically under eating (1500 range or below) you likely struggle to lose body fat, & experience digestion disruption/discomfort & lethargy. It’s likely your body has become resistant to fat loss by slowing down it’s metabolic rate to help prevent further/ rapid change from being in a catabolic state/malnourishment.

I strongly encourage your main priority be to break the cycle of chronic under eating & increase your food to a more optimal range for several months, before pursuing goals of fat loss. (REVERSE DIET! I’ll talk more about that very soon!)

EATING BEHAVIORS: If your eating behaviors are strongly tied to psychological or emotional challenges, seek help from a therapist who is experienced with eating behaviors. In my experience, it is quite common to use food as a way to regulate stress. Whether it manifests as being overly restrictive, or overly indulgent. This is nothing to be ashamed of-it’s just a learned behavior triggered by a stress response. Your nervous system does its job to keep you regulated and safe with these stress responses, and with more self awareness, it can be an opportunity to lead you towards more self compassion & ultimately change your behaviors / stress responses. There are many online therapists available & I think it’s an incredible way to experience therapy!

I would like to offer some perspectives: -food is SO much more than calories/numbers.

-food is nourishment & essentially offers us an opportunity to experience life in a fuller capacity by being in good health.

-food doesn’t need to be deemed good or bad. You can permit food to just be food, vs categorizing food in moral absolutes. As you develop more self awareness through tracking your food, you’ll be able to make more informed choices & appreciate each food for what it is.

-you may not be ready to utilize numeric data if you find yourself getting overly fixated on the numbers.

Remember the numbers are just a tool to help guide us as we manage our goals.

CHRONIC RESTRICTION: If you’ve been constantly trying to diet because you assumed that’s what was required of you to achieve the physique you’re after-then I hope this book excites you and inspires you to enjoy more FOOD and use the tool of tracking macros to ensure you’re getting ENOUGH nutrients.

Aside from possible apprehension, if you can commit to the increase in food, you will likely experience positive changes & SIGNIFICANT improvements to your sleep, mood, and energy and body composition. Just as our body’s can adapt with lower calories, it can also adapt to more. This is a MUCH more optimal place to be before pursuing a diet.

The intentional increase in food is referred to as a REVERSE DIET. It depends how severely you’ve been restricting & for how long, but generally an increase of 50-200 calories per week is a good rule of thumb for a reverse diet. But if you’re having a hard time adhering to the small incremental jumps, I’d highly recommend immediately pulling your calories up to a range you can maintain right away.

(Example: Rather than going from 1400, to 1500 the next week….to 1600 the next week…to 1700, etc. which can be difficult to stick to-You could just jump right to 1700 calories & go from there. (approximately a 20% increase in calories) *& remember WEIGHT gain is not synonymous with FAT gain.

“How BAD do you want it!?” Culture: Being in a fat loss phase/calorie deficit is already a difficult task, and should be approached with strategy and wisdom. (Which I hope this book will give you!) And if you’ve been chronically under eating-your pursuit for fat loss entails more time suffering than it should. I speak from personal experience. I was always trying to adhere to 1400 calories, until I couldn’t. I thought I just needed to want it more & be MORE rigid with myself. And I’d be trapped in a cycle of being “on” and “white knuckling” it through my days, and then being completely “off”-until it was time to “get back on track-“ which I thought meant adhering to 1400 calories and suffering.

Reverse dieting opened up my eyes and drastically changed my quality of life for the better. (I.e. I learned a smarter method, not a harder method) Here’s a good rule of thumb: Ensure your initial deficit calories are not lower than a 20% reduction from your estimated maintenance range. Ex: Katie begins her dieting phase/calorie deficit at 1760 calories. This is 440 calories less than her maintenance calories (2,200) which is a 20% reduction.

Initially reducing your calories more than 20% is generally considered more aggressive and puts you at greater risk for metabolic adaption. (I.e. your metabolism will “slow down”) This is common. Most diets work because they often entail steep caloric deficits-often achieved by removing an entire Macronutrient (no carbs, no fats, etc.) or extreme reductions. Also known as crash dieting. *for more in depth teachings of metabolism, “Fat Loss Forever” contains invaluable insight!)

So once the significant weight loss occurs: (which can also entail precious lean tissue loss.

Remember weight loss is not synonymous with fat loss) People are often left with sub optimal results & no acquired skills or habits after they diet. They’re essentially left with two options: continue to adhere to the extreme restriction/rules, (which is rarely sustainable) OR don’t adhere-And be back to where you started. Or potentially worse off than where you started, and left with frustration and a damaged relationship with food and yourself.

Sound familiar? Well There is GOOD NEWS. And there is a MUCH better approach to food-an approach that allows you to integrate the values and preferences of nutrition that you already have, whilst also allowing you to achieve your goals with significantly less suffering. (Tracking your macros!)

With the understanding of energy balance, you should already start to see that you have abundant food options.

“WILL MY MAINTENANCE CALORIE RANGE EVER CHANGE?” YES. it can absolutely change. Your needs, your goals, and your lifestyle will inevitably change throughout your life. And what great news that we can influence variables & even increase our calorie needs.

Examples: (powerful photo example on the next page!)

-Perhaps you decide you want to work towards building more muscle tissue (which costs more energy to build and will require an anabolic environment / calorie surplus) Once you’ve reached your satisfactory level of muscle development, This will likely result in a maintenance calorie range that is higher than it previously was. (Muscle tissue also costs more energy to maintain) I.e. there is more of you to maintain.

-Or perhaps you’ve lost a significant amount of weight. Your new maintenance calorie range may be less than it previously was, as there is less of you to maintain.

-And as we previously mentioned, perhaps you’ve been chronically under-eating, your body has likely slowed down its metabolic functions to prevent any further change & your maintenance calorie range is lower than normal. Symptoms may include chronic fatigue, loss of period in females, brain fog, inability to lose weight, higher body fat with low food intake, poor recovery from exercise, poor sleep, & hair loss. I.e. malnourishment) -After spending time reverse dieting and more nutritious foods, your body composition will likely not suffer and your maintenance calorie range will have increased because your body adapted (as it’s designed to do) to the increase in food. Win win.

HARD TRUTH: Metabolic rates and capacity for calories will vary person to person. There are some people who can maintain their composition with 3,000+ calories daily, while others need to stick with a more conservative range. But we CAN influence many variables that determine our calorie needs.

Scale + weight obsession: Here we have my own unglamorous photos. I want you to notice several things here: Your body can experience the same WEIGHT (i.e. gravitational pull) But look VERY different depending on your composition. (Muscle to fat ratio) You can clearly see I have more body fat and less muscle on the left. And yet my weight is the same as the right. Weight is only one small part of data.

Don’t get hung up on it.

Many would assume I “lost weight,” from left to right, but in fact I had to SPEND TIME reverse dieting, and GAIN weight (through building muscle and yes, accumulate SOME body fat) which allowed time for my body to adapt to more calories.

I was then in a much more optimal place to start dieting, as I could now diet / lose fat at a higher calorie range, AND I had more muscle, so my fat loss phase revealed a lot more of my muscular development.

154 lbs 2019

154 lbs 2022

This was when I was

This was after

trying very hard to adhere to to 1400 calories a day.

Typically I only hit around 80-90 grams of protein a day. I know this because I would still track my food, but I was solely focused on calories.

Maintenance calorie range: 1600

spending all of 2020 in a maintenance/surplus range, doing 2 competition preps (dieting) and 3+ years of eating sufficient protein.

(This is NOT how I look year round!)

Maintenance calorie range: 2400

And a strong word of advice: BE OKAY WITH AN ESTIMATE and the idea of a calorie RANGE. Even with concise food tracking, we should always assume some small amount of human error, or labeling inconsistencies.

You DO NOT need to get hung up on exactness or perfection to make changes to your physique or benefit from the data you collect through tracking.

For example, if your estimated daily maintenance calorie range is 2,200 calories and one day your tracking app shows you’ve consumed 2,343 calories-relax. You’re still within range.

WHAT IF NUMBERS & TRACKING ISN’T FOR ME? A general approach, will produce general result. There is NOTHING wrong with this. Even tracking for a short period of time & learning what your estimated calories are, can improve your self awareness which may help you improve your health. Taking an intuitive approach to your nutrition should be practiced whether you’re tracking macros or not, if you ask me-But having a foundational knowledge of energy balance + macros is invaluable if you’re trying to change your body composition or improve your energy.

I’m not writing this book to suggest you should track your food forever. You definitely don’t need to. You could do it for several months & likely gain a lot of helpful insight into your behaviors & overall health. Not to mention, after you’ve spent time tracking your food, you might find your food selection and portion habits stay with you, whether you’re tracking concisely or not. (This is assuming your calorie and macro targets are set appropriately. I’ll teach you all about how to establish what your macros should be in the next couple chapters! Stay with me!)

BUT If you are eventually looking to achieve more specific body composition goals, this will warrant a more specific approach. What can be measured can be managed. And I assume this is why you are here!

But if your aim is to make general improvements towards your health, and you do not want to collect regular data (weight, measurements, etc.) or track your food. I have a few simple tips: -Aim to eat more PROTEIN than you normally do. Usually I see people under eat this macronutrient.

(Eating more meat, and ready to drink protein shakes is a great start.) You’ll learn this soon, but protein is an essential macronutrient (whether you want to be an ultra muscular human or not- it’s essential that we get enough.)

-Eat more fruits and vegetables. (Select ones you actually like) -And lastly: Stop the endless pursuit for the BEST caffeinated beverages and replace it with a designated time window for more SLEEP! (I’m not saying no caffeine. I love caffeine. I’m just saying it will never be a replacement for sleep.)

WHY NOT JUST TRACK CALORIES? WHY TRACK MACROS? Only calories is a great place to start. After all, in the hierarchy of variables that influence your *body composition (*generally referring to the body fat and muscle of a body) calories are

KING. But within that hierarchy, we can ALSO influence our body composition (quite significantly!) by being strategic with our macros. So now let’s explore the next tier of the hierarchy: MACROS!

PROTEIN

CARBS

FAT

Chapter 3 :

MACROS

WHAT ARE MACROS? Macros are simply referring to Macronutrients. The 3 main Macronutrients are:

CARBOHYDRATES

FAT

PROTEIN

Whether you acknowledge them or not, every person’s diet consists of varying ratios of these 3 nutrients.

Common Misconception: “macros” is not a diet. If someone says they track macros, they’re simply saying they pay attention/are strategic with these 3 nutrients. If someone’s tracking their food/macros it does not necessarily mean they are trying to eat less. It is not JUST a tool for dieting/ being in a calorie deficit, In fact it’s the best tool to ensure you’re getting ENOUGH nutrients.

NOW let’s break down some basics roles each Macronutrient plays.

CARBS = 4 CALORIES PER GRAM Unfortunately carbs have been commonly demonized, but carbs are hugely beneficial for overall energy, mental clarity, sleep, physical performance, mood, & recovery. Carbohydrates are our body’s preferred source of fuel & quicker for the body to access and utilize. That’s right! Although it is NOT considered essential (protein and fats ARE essential. Our body converts protein and fat into energy, too!) But it’s especially advantageous to keep your carbohydrate intake UP when you’re lifting weights or doing any type of resistance training or any type of endurance exercise. When we consume carbohydrates, our body converts it to glucose. This glucose is converted to ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and from here, our body has what it needs to support the metabolic tasks we mentioned above.

If we have enough glucose, our body will convert this glucose to glycogen. Glycogen is stored in 2 places: the liver and our muscles. (As a bodybuilder, this is important to understand, as we can use this knowledge to support our performance, recovery, and muscle retention. Not to mention, when our muscles are full with glycogen, they are much fuller looking. (: (You may notice it’s hard to get that flex selfie to pop just right in the morning before you’ve eaten!) It is generally advised that adults need a minimum of 120 grams carbohydrate per day.

Another advantage to keeping your carbohydrates a bit higher; digestive support! Fiber is a carbohydrate.

Fiber is considered 2 calories per gram. According to clinical dietician Astrid Naranjo, an adequate intake (AI) has been established: men should aim to get anywhere from 30-38 grams per day, and women 2025 grams per day. Another rule of thumb is aim for 15 grams of fiber per 1000 calories. (A few servings of fruits and vegetables a day makes this very easy!)

FAT = 9 CALORIES PER GRAM Fats have also had their time being demonized. Fats are essential to optimal human health. And most importantly: they’re delicious & can help with appetite satiety (: Fats are the body’s second primary fuel source. Fat is the primary mechanism for storing long term energy in the body.

Compared to carbohydrates, fat is more complex and less readily available to be used as fuel. When we refer to fats in the context of macros, we’re referring to Triglycerides-which is the form your dietary fat takes in the blood. When we consume an excess in dietary fats, it is stored in our fat cells (adipocytes) In other words: our fat stores fat.

Also notice that fat contain more than double the calories per gram compared to carbs and protein. This is important to understand because if we are monitoring body composition, it’s helpful to keep track of your fats. A high fat diet can make you a lot more susceptible to high levels of body fat.

PROTEIN = 4 CALORIES PER GRAM Protein. One of the main macronutrients we hear gym goers & meat heads talk about-but why? It is king (or queen!) of the macros & the most crucial when we are seeking change to our body composition. We need it for building AND maintaining muscle (gainz!) It’s also plays an important role when dieting, as it helps with hunger management (feeling fuller, longer!) and muscle retention. (Important to know because when in a calorie deficit the aim would be to lose body fat-not muscle.)

Firstly, protein, like fat, is an essential macronutrient-Meat head or not, adequate consumption of protein is essential. If we don’t eat enough of it, our body finds it elsewhere. Where? You guessed it. Your precious lean tissue. (Lean tissue is not exclusively muscle- this also means organs, too!) Adequate protein intake is also crucial to our immunity, and hormone regulation. So again-not just important for those who want to build muscle! Protein plays a larger and more complex role than simply helping us build more muscle.

Protein is made up of amino acids-another term you’ve probably heard. There are 20 different amino acids our body uses, but 9 essential amino acids. (The body cannot make them on its own, so they need to be consumed through diet) Those nine essential amino acids are lysine, leucine, isoleucine, histidine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine.

These 9 are the only ones responsible for triggering Muscle Protein Synthesis (gains) Leucine is one to pay particular attention to when building muscle is your goal. (Eggs-gram for gram have one of the highest leucine content!)

To ensure you get all the goodness protein has to offer: there are 2 important things to consider: 1. Protein Distribution: It is important your protein intake is distributed somewhat evenly throughout the day, anywhere from 20-40 grams per meal every 2-4 hours is considered an optimal range for hitting the “leucine threshold” which is the amino acid that signals to our body to retain lean tissue.

2. Bioavailability + Digestibility: When selecting my main protein sources, I look for animal sources, which generally have the highest bioavailability. In other words- they’re a more complete source.

Vegan sources are typically considered incomplete sources and inferior to animal sources when building muscle is your goal. You may want to consider supplementing with free form amino acids or simply eating the higher recommended range of overall protein if you are vegan!

You want to ensure your digestive system can support your higher protein consumption. Stan Efferding always emphasizes “We are not what we eat, but what we can digest” If you experience regular discomfort, you may want to look into a food sensitivity test to get more insight into your food tolerances to help you select better foods for you!

Another FUN FACT: Protein has the highest thermic effect compared to any other food! Meaningyour body needs to USE more energy to break it down. Anywhere from 20-30% of the energy you consume through protein is used to simply break it down. example: you consume 30 grams of protein (which we know is 120 calories. Your body may use 36 calories (30%) just to break it down.

SO, this is exciting to understand-and you may be able to see how this could be useful when monitoring body composition. Increasing your protein is a fantastic strategy to stay on top of your body composition (I.e. not accumulate high levels of body fat) This can be helpful to know in several scenarios. if you have a big appetite, increasing protein towards the higher recommended range can be a fantastic strategy (3.1 grams of protein per KILO of body weight) and will make it MUCH less likely you’ll accumulate body fat or over eat with a higher ratio of calories coming from protein.Or say you were dieting, you could keep your carbs and fats the same as they have been throughout your diet, & only increase calories from protein, and likely still lose weight. In fact increasing your protein is recommended when you’re in a calorie deficit to help give you the best chance of muscle retention and a great tool in managing hunger. (I.e. it is much more difficult to gain excessive fat by overeating protein)

Being strategic with your protein especially as you observed in my photos, is a perfect example in distinguishing the advantage of being strategic with/ tracking your macros verses only tracking calories.

As you start tracking, you’ll begin to familiarize yourself with various foods rich in different macronutrients. It’s important to understand that many foods are not SOLELY composed of ONE macronutrient. Hence the term: Primary Source.

Let’s move onto a few examples of primary food sources for each macronutrient.

For example: Oats are a primary carb source but also have small amounts of fats and protein, too. Peanut butter is NOT a primary protein source, but primarily a source of fat. Red meats are very protein rich, but also very high in fat.

Tracking will encourage you to simply read the labels and stay informed to make the best decisions for you & your goals.

Primary CARB sources

sugar, pasta, oats, quinoa, beans, lentils, vegetables, fruits…

Fiber is a carbohydrate and is considered only 2 calories per gram. High fiber sources are often referred to as “slow digesting” carbs. (most vegetables, berries, apples, & whole grains…) While low fiber sources are often referred to “quick digesting” carbs. (sugars *honey, syrup, etc, rice, white flour pastas, cereals, etc) Higher fiber sources are also helpful for pre diabetic people to be more aware of as they have less impact on blood sugar. Fiber also has a higher thermic effect, (remember this means your body has to use more energy to break it down) supports optimal digestion, and keeps you feeling fuller longer which is why a diet rich in fiber is also a great fat loss tool & why many preach “eating clean” (I.e. eat more whole food) But again, labeling your food “clean” (as opposed to dirty?) can be problematic when mending your relationship and perception of food. You can allow food to just be food.

Primary FAT sources

oils, (animal + plant based) butters, nuts & seeds…

There are many categories & subcategories of fat. But I’ll keep this one simple. You can ensure the likelihood your primary fat sources are more nutrient dense, if they’re coming from a whole food source. (Nuts, meats, avocado *technically a fruit & also fish) Significantly less nutrient dense fat sources would be trans fat (& often inflammatory when eaten in excessive amounts) These sources are often found in fast food & baked goods. Trans fats are hydrogenated oils.

Know your limits and sensitivities, and ENJOY some treats if you want. Again, in my experience it’s NOT helpful labeling food in a moral absolute way: “bad/dirty” & can strain your relationship with food. Your selections do not need to be a moral crusade. (*However- I respect & understand dietary guidelines for religious purposes) Sources like fish are high in Omegas (polyunsaturated fat) which is ESSENTIAL & must be consumed through diet. (A quality fish oil supplement is an excellent consideration for most people.) *More basic supplement recommendations to come!

PRIMARY (complete) PROTEIN sources Meats, dairy, eggs, seafood, (most animal derived foods)

Again, this is not to say that peas, nuts, tofu, tempeh, and plant based foods do not contain protein. These sources are GREAT options if you are vegan. They are simply considered suboptimal & incomplete when we consider the 9 essential amino acids.

—————————————————————————————————————————— *ALCOHOL is 7 calories per gram. (Nearly the same calorie value as fat!) Which should help you gather insight into why it’s very easy to gain unwanted fat through regular drinking.

Chapter 4 :

What Should My Macros Be?

This is my most asked question. AND THE ANSWER IS: it depends on your goal & current needs.

Remember how we determined our estimated maintenance calorie range? If you didn’t notice, I also provided you the caloric value of each macro nutrient:

Carbs = 4 calories per gram Protein = 4 calories per gram

Fat = 9 calories per

gram

—————————————————————————————————————

STEP 1: Part 1- determine your goal + calories. (Calorie surplus? Maintenance range? Deficit?)

Part 2- Determine your daily protein. *I like protein prioritized first because as we’ve learned, it’s an essential macronutrient, and is one of the most important nutrition variables when it comes to improving body composition, whether you’re in a calorie surplus or calorie deficit. ) A good place to start is 1 gram per pound of body weight. (155 lb person aims to eat 155 grams protein daily) Sometimes this can feel like a lot if you haven’t been used to eating protein rich foods. Perhaps you try .7 grams per pound of bodyweight first, & gradually increase from there! (150 lb person aims to eat 105 grams per day) *you can experiment with a range 1.4 to 3.1 grams of protein per KILO of body weight (just google your weight in kilos for all my imperial system friends) *your protein intake should remain relatively consistent throughout every phase or goal.

STEP 2: determine your carbs and fats. As a beginner, carbs and fats can be allotted in whatever ratio is realistic for you. if you’re an athlete, you’re probably not going to want to be “low carb” (remember this is generally considered less than 120 grams/ daily) because carbohydrates will greatly help your performance and recovery.

For fats, it is generally recommended to keep them no less than 20% of your total calories. (Ex: 20% of a 2,000 calorie budget would be 400 calories for fats-which is about 44.5 grams) When first setting your macro budget, you must consider your current habits & food selection. You do not need to overhaul every nutritional habit. Chances are, you can still “fit in” most of the foods you naturally gravitate towards.

STEP 3:PLAN YOUR MEALS!! I.e. pre-log your food in your app! Sorry for yelling, but what’s a numerical goal without a monitored plan of action? This is one of the most commonly neglected steps and often the culprit for inaccuracies in tracking and lack of results.

Now that we have a budget-we need to successfully adhere to the budget. Set yourself up for success by planning your meals & making sure your calories for each macronutrient are within range, but also selecting foods we enjoy. (I.e. it’s unlikely to stick with any sort of nutrition regimen if it feels restrictive)

Planning Approaches: Take some time in the evening or even morning & plan out your meals daily.

OR Plan out your meals weekly.

OR Switch it up monthly. Whatever works for you. You can pre-log your entire day, or just take a couple minutes before each meal to pre-log & the. (Again, I’ll give you specific meal & budget examples soon!)

It is common to “track as you go” throughout the day, but this can ultimately cause you to “play catch up” towards the end of the night, or significantly go over or under one macronutrient.

“So this is a lot of work…” It’s work, yes! Hammers and nails don’t build houses. Remember the skills you work for are yours to keep.

The process of learning how to use this tool to fit in foods you love, ought to feel a lot less daunting than being stuck in ongoing cycles of restriction. You’ve got this.

You will probably notice tracking is easier even after the first few days of adhering to your new macros.

TRACKING APP TIPS I advise turning OFF the “track NET carbs” feature in your diary settings in My Fitness Pal. Remember how I said fiber is considered 2 calories per gram. So with this setting, my fitness pal will not account for the full 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate. It can cause confusion with what your total carbohydrate intake actually was.

I do NOT advise you to connect your step tracker to MFP. Remember the devices that estimate our energy output are usually very inaccurate- Why allow the inaccurate estimations of our “calories burned” to interfere with our valiant efforts of accurately tracking our food?

More good news: Remember how I told you to relax if one day you exceed your calorie range?

Well your specific macro targets are no different. We’re not going to derail progress if we exceed our carbohydrate budget by 7 grams one day. Our targets are just that-a target. Not a magic exact number.

I actually like to give my brand new clients a bigger range to be over or under 10-15 grams of each macronutrient as they learn to track and plan accurately. (Maybe one day they hit 220 grams of carbs, and the next day they hit 235 grams. We’re still within range and doing amazing.

This broader range takes some pressure off, (because we know exactness isn’t crucial to improvements and results!) but this range also accounts for a level of human error and labeling inconsistencies, as we mentioned previously.

You could think of it this way: first you need to learn to use a bow and arrow (establishing your calories/ macros) THEN you learn how to aim & shoot your target (tracking your food) THEN you learn to hit the bullseye (hitting your macro targets accurately) This takes consistent effort and practice-Not perfection.

You’re going to miss your target sometimes, but eventually you’ll rarely miss- and you will always be within range of your bullseye.

Hard things turn into easy things with practice.

PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS -You can be as exact as you want to be, or you can take a more flexible approach & simply make sure you’re hitting your protein target. Either approach will be beneficial, depending on your goal.

-As a physique athlete/bodybuilder, I track more concisely about my half my year, and the other half, I am much more flexible with food variety, taking time off tracking & enjoying meals out. (you most likely won’t suddenly forget how to make your meals or experience dramatic shifts in your physique if you take a short break from tracking! :) -My personal favorite approach is to plan weekly. I like to do a new “menu” for myself every week because I can get variety in my diet, but then I only have to enter in my food one time the entire week.)

Whatever works best for you.

-Create a planning system/menu that feels easy to stick to. THIS IS KEY. And this may evolve over time! The tool of tracking will always be there for you!

-Copying someone else’s approach may cause a lot of stress /resistance, which will make this new skill a lot more taxing. Create as little resistance for yourself as possible.

-If you are someone who resists eating the same foods every day (but honestly who isn’t repeating the same foods to some degree every day…) then create new “menus” for yourself more frequently!

-If you are someone who resists having to enter in your food frequently and you like eating the same meals frequently, then maybe the weekly or bi monthly approach is best for you!

-Make room for your favorite foods, your schedule, and take time to notice your tendencies and behaviors.

OKAY NOW ONTO SOME EXAMPLES! This is where it will click!

Chapter 5 :

SETTING OUR MACROS

LET’S SET OUR MACRO BUDGET Let’s continue to use our friend Katie for our example. After a couple weeks tracking only her calories, Katie noticed her My Fitness Pal data showed her average protein intake was only around 90 grams per day. She also noticed her average carbohydrate intake was always below 200 grams. While her daily fats far exceeded 100 grams. But NOW, she wants to ensure she’s getting a more optimal amount of each macronutrient for her lifestyle and will continue to consume 2200 calories daily-but with a different Macro ratio!

We know her estimated Energy Output (TDEE=total daily energy expenditure) is approximately 2,200 calories and she is 155 lbs. She’s noticed she isn’t progressing with her lifts, or developing as much muscle in the gym as she wants to. She has difficulty sleeping & feels like it takes her longer to recover from her workouts.

She’s chosen to stay in her maintenance calorie range, because she does not want to create a catabolic state (calorie deficit) as it would not support her performance improvements she’s seeking. She is also not seeking to be in a surplus just yet, because she wants more time practicing in this calorie range. *What we’ve learned about protein & carbs-we know that simply by increasing these two -she will likely experience significant improvements in performance and recovery. *Also, it is possible to build muscle and even lose body fat (I.e. “recomp”) in a maintenance calorie range. Generally it will just take you longer.

FIRST, she sets her protein budget to 155 grams per day. (4 calories per gram x 150) = 620 calories SECOND, she sets her carb budget to 250 grams per day. (4 calories per gram x 250) = 1000 calories LAST, she sets her fats to 65 grams. (9 calories per gram x 65) = 585 calories

620 calories + 10000 calories + 585 calories =

2,205 calories

LET’S PLAN OUR MEALS Now that Katie’s Macro budget is set. She knows if she’s going to adhere to this new budget, she’ll need to plan her meals. She decides how many meals she will eat based off her normal habits. Then, she decides on her primary protein source for each meal and logs those first to prioritize she’s hit her protein target.

She’s noticed she’s only 4 grams under her fat goal, and decides that’s very close to her “bullseye” & does not panic (: Katie now has her meals planned, and does not need to log her food every time she eats. Also, she has hit the minimum suggested 20 grams of protein per meal and distributed her protein budget somewhat evenly.

Let’s get some visual examples of what this could look like.

LET’S EVOLVE OUR GOALS: Let’s continue to use our friend Katie as an example and show you how we might adjust her macro budget based off changes to her goals.

Katie wants to build muscle Katie knows that building muscle requires a more anabolic environment and she should opt for a calorie surplus. As we discussed in chapter 1, a good rule of thumb for a surplus, is a calorie increase of 10-15%.

Katie adjusts her calorie budget to approximately 2,420. (A 10% increase from 2,200 calories) She keeps her protein and fat budget the same, and simply increases her carbohydrates. Because Katie knows carbohydrates are going to be the most efficient fuel source for her athletic performance.

Katie wants to lose body fat Katie knows that losing body fat requires a more catabolic environment & she’ll need to be in a calorie deficit. She’s spent one year focused on building muscle and is ready to focus on losing body fat, while prioritizing maintaining the muscle she’s built. She increases her protein to help her with appetite satiety and muscle retention. She reduces her calories by 20% and starts her fat loss phase at 1940 calories.

(2420 calories - 480 calories) She has a goal to lose approximately 15 lbs & is using a target pant size & waist measurement as a tool of measurement, too. She monitors her rate of loss and plateaus around the 5-6th week mark. She decides to drop calories another 15% (1940 calories - 291 calories) and hits her goal.

Phase 1 fat loss macros

Phase 2 fat loss macros

Katie wants to maintain: Katie wants to keep her now leaner, and muscular composition she achieved through her building phase and cutting phase: Katie knows her previous estimated calorie needs range was approximately 2,200 calories. (15,400 weekly calories) She wants to continue to feel good & make progress in the gym & knows her current calorie requirements to maintain her body, are likely not far from this previous range. She increases her calories by 20% (an added 330 calories from where she ended her fat loss phase) This is a comfortable range for her, but she notices she feels a lot more hungry on days where she’s training lower body.

FINAL FAT LOSS MACROS:

+ 330 calories

NEW MAINTENANCE MACROS:

She’s decided to increase her calories to approximately 2,400-2500 calories on her lower body days (What fun!) So now, she has 4 days of 1937 calories, and 3 days of 2445 calories. (4 days x 7,748 + 7335 = 15,083 calories a week) So nearly the same weekly calories, but now she can enjoy more food on certain days **YES, you can have higher days and lower days to support your schedule/goals! Consider your calorie budget in weekly increments if you’d like, rather than eating the exact same amount every day. Do what makes sense to you. (This is a great strategy to implement for weekends if you enjoy eating out more but still want to continue to monitor and track!)

HIGH DAY MACROS:

MORE FLEXIBILITY OPTIONS: As we showed with Katie, if you’d like the option of a couple days of the week where you eat more food, you can simply consider your weekly calorie budget, (Just times your daily calories x 7) And then delegate your calories to each day however you’d like.

WEEKEND FUN: Example: Let’s say your weekly set calories are 15,400 (2,200 every day) & you want to enjoy more food on Saturday and Sunday. You could do something like this: Mon: 2000

Tues: 2000

Wed: 2000

Thurs: 2000

Friday: 2000 Sat: 2700 Sun: 2700

=15,400 calories (I would keep your protein the same, or nearly the same range every day) (And Yes in this scenario you’ll likely have an increase in weight (I.e gravitational pull) on Monday if you checked-because you’re simply digesting more food and have had more carbohydrates! But it’s only a temporary influx. You’re not fatter.)

TRAINING PERFORMANCE: Example: Using the same calorie budget, let’s say you want to optimize your training performance in the gym. Your most demanding training days are Mondays and Thursdays and Saturdays. You could do something like this: Mon: 2500

Tues:1850

Wed:1850

Thurs: 2500

Fri:1850

Sat: 3000

Sun:1850

=15,400 calories (Again, protein shouldn’t waver too much though the week- I would suggest pushing carbohydrates pretty high for athletic performance and recovery purposes on the high days, and timing up your highest carb meals before and after your training! On these days, with higher calories, it might make more sense to eat more meals. Perhaps you increase to 6 meals instead of 4 meals.

So long as you continue to hit your weekly calorie & macro targets, you can practice more flexibility within the 7 days of the week, while still getting similar results as you would eating the same amount every daypotentially even BETTER results, because it can offer more options and room for socializing, or those higher calorie days can be a fantastic tool for optimal training & getting the most out of your sessions!

Chapter 6:

Common Questions

“WHAT ABOUT MICRONUTRIENTS?” What about them?

Just kidding. Bad joke- Your MICROnutrients are considered 13 essential vitamins and 15 critical minerals. Ideally, we’d get everything we need from our high quality, nutrient dense food.

Some foods are not always the most nutrient dense. Micronutrients can be harder to track and ensure you’re getting what you need, but a general rule of thumb: you can presume all leafy greens will provide A LOT of those essential vitamins and minerals. Eat more of them. They cost you virtually no calories from your budget if you’re tracking and have SO MUCH to offer you.

Jonny Bowden’s “150 healthiest foods on earth” is such a FUN & informative resource to have on hand to further understand the micronutrients of your food and help you make nutritious selections. (It’s also unbiased, and not rooted with an idea that there is only one way to eat.)

I personally like to rotate my fruits and vegetables weekly, even spices and seasonings, to give me the BEST chance of getting the vitamins and minerals I need, without causing a lot of stress as I plan.

Changing up your food selection is also very beneficial for your overall digestive health.

Just a few common vitamin & mineral deficiencies and easy ways to supplement: (I’m barely skimming the surface here) Magnesium, (alcohol is a common culprit of magnesium deficiency) Magnesium is also very helpful aiding in recovery from the gym, sleep and digestion. I love OrthoMolecular Reacted Magnesium supplement. Found in leafy greens, dark chocolate (I’d opt for a minimal processed, DARK organic cacao) & lots of other nuts and whole food!

DHA/(Omega 3’s): Incredibly beneficial for our BRAIN health, in particular. EAT FISH to get more. wild opposed to farmed fish, is usually much more nutrient dense. Or take a quality fish oil supplement.

Vitamin D: helpful for mood regulation & sleep. Found in eggs (I’d opt for free range), salmon & dairy.

Get more morning sun! Or use a liquid vitamin D supplement!

Sodium: an essential mineral, and an easy one to get more of. Sodium is crucial for proper muscular and nerve function. Iodized table salt is something I tend to use on every meal! Iodine also supports your thyroid. Both are something to be mindful of if you feel lethargic or dizzy often.

“WHAT DO I DO IF I GO OUT TO EAT?” Fortunately, tracking apps such as My Fitness Pal, have a huge database. Most likely other people have already logged items from that restaurant & you can search for it there. (Sometimes they’re inaccurate so use your discretion) Many restaurants share the macros or calories of menu items on their website, too.

You cans also easily log one item at a time. (Ex: if I get a burger at a restaurant, I’ll just log a bun, the amount of beef, cheese, and the fries. Again, choosing the options that have a higher calorie count to ensure I’m likely within range. Always assume they’ll be cooking with more fats and oils, which we know is more calorie dense.)

Depending on your current goals & how important it is for you to stay tracking through a dinner out, either plan what you’ll order (everyone has their online menus available!) & log it as best you can. If I’m in a period where I’m trying to ensure I do not over indulge-I will over estimate the calories I log at a restaurant & again-always assume higher fats.

OR don’t worry about tracking that one meal.

Eat your normal meals leading up to that dinner. Depending how indulgent the dinner is, I also advice you make sure you get your fruits and vegetables in beforehand for digestive support.

“HOW MANY MEALS SHOULD I BE EATING?” Short answer: As a beginner, eat the amount of meals you can stick to. Ideally, Hit 3 meals minimum.

Longer answer: According to Alan Aragon, (an expert & researcher when it comes to the relation of nutrition and athlete performance and body composition) 4 servings of protein (which can also imply 4 meals) is considered optimal for Muscle Protein Synthesis. This is important when building muscle, AND especially when dieting, so you can retain as much as possible. Less than 3 meals a day wouldn’t be considered ideal.

You can absolutely split your calories into more meals if you’d like. This is a great practical strategy to avoid digestion discomfort that may come from larger meals. I personally love 4 meals a day & get frustrated trying to prepare more meals than that. But it also depends how many calories I’m working with.

And remember: try to disturbed your protein somewhat evenly throughout the day, (refer back to the “PROTEIN” excerpt) Try to ensure you simply eat within 3 hours pre or post exercise. (You do not need to get fixated on RUSHING to get food within a specific time window post training. Do what you can stick to.)

Essentially, more meals is just more. More doesn’t necessarily mean better.

Chapter 7:

MEALS With Macros

LOW FAT ITALIAN PASTA SALAD

The Fat Free Italian dressing is the star of this one & offers so much flavor for a lot less calories.

And don’t be shy with garlic salt, onion powder and pepper, and fresh basil! (None of which you need to log!) Any herbs + spices and have a minuscule/nearly untraceable amount of calories.

I’d also highly recommend adding RED ONION. Also notice I’m weighing & logging in grams as often as possible-this will ensure more accuracy as it is a smaller unit of measurement!

This is the DRY/uncooked weight of the pasta logged because that’s what was in the MFP database and on the box. When you cook 84 grams of dry pasta, it will become 171 grams cooked.

The cooked version simply weighs more because its no longer dehydrated and has more water.

Always be aware of how your food converts once it’s cooked. (:

PEANUT BUTTER COCONUT PROTEIN BITES

So typically in our house this recipe is for 2 people. So this is the whole batch logged!

Higher calorie swaps: use maple syrup or real, full fat peanut butter, add more protein powder, or add chocolate chips (: This is also delicious with chia & flaxseed!

Lower calorie swaps: use unsweetened coconut, pb2, liquid allulose instead of honey/syrup, or forego the oat flour.

I love this particular protein flavor the most, but there are plenty of delicious protein powders to choose from. I also love many flavors from these brands: Dymatize, Ancient Nutrition (the salted caramel) and Like a Pro

FALL ARUGULA SALAD + AIR-FRIED CHICKEN THIGH

Calling this a fall salad because I LOVE taking advantage of apples being in season! Arugula is also a superfood and a beautiful way to enjoy flavor + a ton of micronutrients.

Higher calorie swaps: use Gorgonzola cheese (my fav) or any candied nut. This would also be delicious with TZATZIKI! Lower calorie swaps: chicken breast rather than thigh *I usually always season all of my protein sources with Cajun seasoning, garlic or onion salt/powder, & black pepper. *We have the Ninja dual air fryer and it’s the best! I just coat my chicken with seasoning (and don’t use any extra fats typically) put it in there for approximately 20 minutes at 375-390 degrees.

THE BEST LOW FAT BURGER EVER

My favorite food will always be a burger so this makes a regular appearance year round. I love adding my air fried golden potatoes on the side, sweet potato fries (lots of low fat frozen options at the grocery store!) or instead of potatoes, I’ll make two 4 oz burgers. (: Use a higher fat meat to get more fats or use more cheese (: Then, it will become the best moderate fat burger, ever.

Daves Killer buns are SO good-thank me later. And WICKLES-if you haven’t tried them, you should. And love it or hate it, I love some Velveeta. But use real, organic cheddar or fancy Gruyère or Brie if you’re too good for fake cheese. Just kidding, I love all cheese.

I usually throw some kind of lettuce on there too which I usually don’t log.

Again, I season generously with onion and garlic powder or salt, iodized salt, pepper, and some kind of Cajun (slap ya mama or Tony’s!)

*For a large 8oz burger, I cook over medium heat on the stove top for approximately 4-6 minutes on each side. (But I like mine more done) They will obviously cook faster if you split them into two 4 oz. *We use non stick green pans so we can get away with using next to no oils.

I don’t ever need to cook burgers in extra fats & this saves you *a lot* of calories youd otherwise get at a restaurant

PROTEIN BAKED OATS

One of my favorite ways to enjoy protein oats. Add 1 tsp of baking soda + salt and cinnamon to your dry ingredients too!

You’ll bake these at 350 for approximately 15 minutes & allow it a couple minutes to cool!

Play around with different flavors of protein too! I love the Salted Caramel by Ancient Nutrition. If you want to add more calories/fats, I love adding shredded coconut & dark chocolate chips.

You can easily make this fit a lower calorie budget by simply reducing your amount of oats or not using the banana!

AIR FRIED NUGGETS + GOLDEN POTATO WEDGES

The most simple high protein, low fat, comfort food. (And I know what you’re thinking-Jessica IS a pro chef??)

For the golden potatoes, I chop them into quarters, spray or drizzle a small amount of oil, season (I always use some kind of Cajun seasoning!) and air fry for 14 minutes at 390. (I like them more done and crispy!)

And yes, Tyson makes air fried nuggets, so I just reheat in the air fryer! So easy. But you could also opt for a high quality free range chicken and make your own (: For lower calorie condiments (I like them to be reduced calorie only because I don’t like my budget of calories to go towards sauces-I’d rather spend them on food I can chew (: especially because they’re delicious and hardly feel like a compromise to me.

I love: reduced sugar ketchup, all types of mustard, reduced sugar barbecue & bolthouse ranch. But go the stuff you love!

*FAMOUS* PROTEIN OATS

Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but this is a constant staple for me. Whether I’m dieting, building, or just living life, protein oats are always in the rotation.

Follow the instructions on your oats container (: All you need to do is add water, and cook for about a minute in the microwave, or use the stove top.

Use whole oats, or quick oats, organic, etc.

Also don’t forget to SALT! I love adding chocolate chips to the top and sprinkling some extra salt. (Remember it’s an essential mineral!)

*COOK YOUR OATS FIRST. THEN add your protein (: Do not microwave your protein powder. Trust me.

ASIAN FUSION BOWL

I love shredded cabbage and carrots raw, but they’re also great sautéed for a couple minutes! I love using sriracha maple to cook with, as well as top my meals. I also love using a good amount of garlic salt all over this meal! (You can easily opt for a fattier meat or add some BUTTER or ghee to get more fats in this meal!)

Flavor Gang sriracha maple sauce is truly a staple to my savory meals. This meal would also be awesome with a soy or teriyaki or liquid aminos-whatever you want!

PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY PARFAIT

HOT TIP: add pretzels or caramel rice cakes for some crunch. And of course, consider this a template and use whatever flavored yogurt, fruit, and nut butter you want. This meal is usually pretty low fat for me, but it’s so easy to simply just buy a higher fat yogurt! I just like to show you how easy it is to make indulgent foods not as calorie dense.

I love mixing Light and Fit flavored yogurt with Fage Greek yogurt which makes it more tangy and thick -OR add a scoop of protein powder to make it more of a thick pudding/custard texture. and as always, don’t forget to SALT the top! (:

HAMBURGER BOWL

I love making a bowl out of everything. You could add oil when you cook your “fries” to give yourself more fats or my favorite method to get your fats in-get a slightly less lean meat. You could use an organic 90/10 and that would be delicious!

And I know-again with the golden potatoes! They’re my favorite. But of course, you could make some sweet potato fries or some russet potato fries. And surprisingly, the frozen section at your grocery store has several low fat frozen fries-just check the labels!

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER GREEN SMOOTHIE

I love being able to add spinach in a

BONUS RECIPE (:

smoothie and make it undetectable. I SWEAR YOU CANNOT TASTE IT. This

Pumpkin Spice Latte Protein Smoothie:

flavor combo is SO good but I love that you’re getting a quality amount of

1 cup coconut milk

MICRONUTRIENTS. Also the raw cacao powder is an awesome source of vitamins

2 TBS pumpkin coffee creamer

and MINERALS! (Try it in oats, too!)

2-3 shots cold brew espresso (I love COOL BREW from

And yes, Dymatize makes a Cocoa Pebbles

New Orleans!)

flavored protein and it’s delicious and adds so much sweetness you don’t need to add

3 TBS pumpkin purée

anything to sweeten. Also don’t forget to ADD ICE. Approximately 1-2 cups (:

2 TBS shredded carrots

TRY: frozen berries instead of banana

1 scoop Vanilla oatmeal cookie protein (Bum x Raw Nutrition) 1 tsp cinnamon + dash of ginger and allspice 2 handfuls of ice

KEY TAKEAWAYS Calories are King (in the hierarchy of body composition) Macros are Queen (: Protein is the most impactful macronutrient when influencing body composition Everyone needs protein, regardless of athletic or body composition goals.

Energy Balance determines how you change A surplus of energy = gain A deficit of energy =loss Give yourself TIME as you learn a new skill. Remember, it will be yours to keep forever.

Eat more leafy greens and whole food Choose foods you enjoy

Making informed nutrition decisions, rather than deeming food “good” or “bad” is a more helpful mindset.

Flexibility with your nutrition can be the variable you need for long-term success.

Food is one of the greatest tools we have for health improvement and athletic progression.

You can track your food long-term and adjust your macros as your goals change.

OR you can can track your food short-term & simply use tracking as a way to help you make more informed choices.

You can eat 6+ meals a day or you can eat 3.

You can track that restaurant meal out, or not.

You are always in the drivers seat of your nutrition & health.

You always have options available to you.

CHEERS to health, informed decisions, and flexibility

Butter is not a carb (:

To inquire for individualized 1:1 coaching, please visit www.gallantcoaching.org