MACROS: Carbs, Proteins and Fats Oh My!

Happy Eve of Christmas Eve Lovelies!

The holidays are here and I am sooooo excited!   Christmas is by far, my most favorite Holiday of the year.

As you can tell by the title, this is far from a Christmas post.  Well, if you are focusing on your health and want to gift yourself a healthier lifestyle, then I guess you can consider this somewhat of a Christmas/holiday post.

If you are wondering how to lose fat, build muscle, or just maintain then knowing your MACROS will assist in helping you reach your goals.  To put it simply, the term MACROS is short for "Macronutrients" which are the nutrients that provide you with calories or energy to live.  There are 3 macronutrients that you will need to be familiar with while tracking your progress:

• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Fats

According to your weight loss/gain goals, you will need to know how much and often of each to consume.  Each macronutrient has its own benefits for the body.  Each macronutrient also accounts for certain number of calories per gram.  Carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram.  Proteins provide 4 calories per gram.  Fats provide 9 calories per gram.

The Friedman Sprout 

CARBOHYDRATES:

Carbohydrates are used as your main source for fuel.  They are mainly found in starchy foods such as grains, potatoes, fruits, and dairy products.  Carbohydrates can also be found in vegetables, beans, and nuts. Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest and offers more of a continual and stable flow of energy. Simple carbohydrates provide an immediate or a spike in the blood sugar and is broken down quickly making the need for more in order to sustain blood sugar levels.  Complex carbs consist of potatoes, grains, breads made from whole grains, oats, and fruit in its natural state.  Simple carbs include candy, soda, honey and sugar.  45%-65% of your daily caloric intake should consist of carbohydrates.

PROTEINS:

Protein is the most abundant nutrient in the body next to water.  It is important for growth, cell regeneration, muscle building and preservation, tissue repair, etc.  Protein is mainly found in meat, poultry, fish, dairy, nuts, beans and vegetables.  Once consumed, protein is broken down into amino acids, which are the basic building block for proteins.  10%-35% of your daily caloric intake should consist of protein.

FATS:

Don't misconstrue FATS.  Not all fats are bad fats.  Your body needs healthy fats for growth, protection, and energy.  Fats are found in meat, fish, butter, dairy products, vegetable, nuts, lard and grain products.  Saturated fats remain solid at room temperature.  Unsaturated fats remain in its liquid form at room temperature.  Unsaturated fats are found in oils and plants.  Fat is the last nutrient to digest in the body.  20%-35% of your daily caloric intake should consist of fats.

Whew!  Now with all of that being said, lets get on to calculating your body's needs for the day.  Remember, your body's needs all depend on what you are trying to achieve.  I found a MACRO calculator that I like and I think it would be a great start for you to find out how much of each macronutrient you should be consuming.  Click HERE to calculate your MACROS. I've also included a shopping list of items that fall into each of the macronutrient categories.  This is designed to help you with choosing what to include in your meals once you have your MACROS calculated.

MACRO NUTRIENT SHOPPING LIST

Let me know if you have any questions.  I wish you well on your quest to a healthier lifestyle!!

Until Next Time,

Work It Out Wednesday: 90 Day Challenge Update

Good Morning Lovelies!!
First I would like to thank everyone who has decided to join in on the 90 day challenge.  It is going strong on my Facebook Page.  Please check it out here.

We are currently on Week Three and I have posted the workouts below for you to try.  I have also posted the video explaining what I eat.  Please don't hesitate to ask questions.  I want to help you accomplish your goal!  It is very fulfilling when you accomplish such a milestone.  Once I accomplished mine, I set another one so that I remain focused and on track.

The key is to begin right where you are.  Your day one might be different from the next person's, but what matters is that you get started.

WEEK ONE

WEEK TWO



WEEK THREE 

Until Next Time,

How to Obtain a Flat Stomach

Hello Loves!
Today I want to talk about the most popular question that I have been receiving. How did you lose your belly fat? What is the secret to flattening your abs?  Well folks, there isn't a magic wand that you can wave and have that flattened midsection appear.  The key to getting your abs flat is your nutrition in conjunction with a form of cardio.   I am telling you this from what I have experienced with my own transormation. 

 Think about this for a moment.  Hypothetically speaking, you perform 100 crunches, 50 leg lifts, and 5 sets of 60 second plank holds for 5 days a week for 4 weeks and you still end up with the same "stomach" that you had 1 month ago.  What seems to be the problem you ask?  Well, if you do all of that work and do not change your eating habits, then you will be only MAINTAINING or even GAINING more body fat.  You have to change your diet/nutrition/eating habits.  You should couple that change with some form of cardio.  This will help increase your heart rate and get your metabolism kicked into gear to burn fat. 

I will tell you what I did to achieve my goals in 3 months, but you have to remember that I was training for my first figure competition and I was working out 6 days a week with 2 cardio sessions per day.  I began my day by first praying to God to sustain me throughout the entire process of changing my body.  I then proceeded to get on my elliptical machine for 45min to an hour on an empty stomach early in the morning.  This is what some call "Fasted Cardio".  Since I had been asleep for the past 6-8 hours, my body did not have any "Food Fuel"  to pull from in order to assist me with my cardio session.  Therefore, my body had to tap into my "Fat" storage to fuel my workout.  Once my morning cardio session was completed, I followed it up with a hearty breakfast that consisted of an egg white omelet that I coupled with spinach and oatmeal.  Since I wasn't adding any sugar to my oatmeal, I added my serving of oatmeal and spinach to the egg whites then proceeded cook my omelet as usual.   Sometimes the omelet turned into scrambled egg whites :-).   Believe it or not, this is a very tasty "entree".   I rarely use salt which is why I have fallen in love with Mrs. Dash Seasonings.  I also add a little salsa to my omelet for more flavor.

For the duration of my day, I eat a total of 5 to 6 meals.  This is key in keeping your metabolism in a "Fat Burning" mode.  There is more to come on the balance of my meals.

Start your day off right and give your body the energy to work in high gear for the remainder of the day.  You have to fuel your body with the proper nutrition.  There is so much that I have to share with you all but I can't do it all in one post.  Be on the look out for recipes, meal preparation tips, workouts that you can do at home, and more. 

Don't wait until tomorrow to begin. START NOW.  Remember this; consistent small changes will equate to big accomplishments.

Until Next Time,