Protein and carbohydrates!!! Need to understand: When we try to lose weight, the first thing we do is cut down our food. We tend to avoid carbs; no rice; no sugar; potatoes make me fat and all the other kinds of myths. But does it really work and even if it makes u lose fat then you in some or another way start losing functionality metabolism might get imbalanced.
Actually, carbs are the body’s most preferred source of fuel, and this fuel used in plenty of work like jogging, thinking, and digesting. “Brain uses energy only from carbs for its functioning”. We all know about the basic functioning of metabolism that carbs we consume broken down into sugar (glucose) and via bloodstream enters our body cell for instant energy. Protein and carbohydrates need proper rest which goes to the liver and muscles for storage (glycogen) and excess stored as fat.
People even have started assuming protein as a source of losing or gaining fat. But guys do u know that when you are working out it is the carbs that give you energy. So just totally relying on protein is not the solution you also need to take even a proportion of carbs instead.
When glucose drops, the body reverses the process, and glycogen immediately converted into glucose. If your calorie intake less, weaker muscles (protein) broken down for energy. Protein and Carbohydrates Ensure to get enough carbs to spare protein for what it can only do- build and repair body cells & tissue.
WHY PROTEIN & CARBOHYDRATES???
Next comes the fat for energy when the body is depleted of carbs and glycogen. Ketones are formed from the incomplete breakdown of fat and enter the bloodstream. Excess of ketones is linked to health problems like kidney damage, heart failure, etc. Fats is excess energy stored in the body in the form of fat. I have seen most people having the myth that having protein makes your body muscular or having it gives you energy in an excess workout.
Protein and Carbohydrates bring it to your knowledge that, our body is every second utilizing energy in the form of breathing, exhaling, digestion, detoxifying blood, functioning of kidney even if you are just sitting, standing, and talking. See, our body is like a machine till the time we are active it is some of the other process going within the body.
Your carbs division should go gradually according to your activity. For example, you want to lose weight or gain weight then you should first know what is BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and RMR (Resting metabolic Rate)
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)
Basal metabolic rate is the energy or number of calories your body needs to accomplish its own life-sustaining functions in breathing, blood circulation, heart-pumping; these all are areas where BMR is concerned with.
HOW TO KNOW YOUR BMR
Every individual has their own body type. Thus, their fat burning and gaining capacity is also not the same. In order to lose
weight, one must go through his/her BMR first.
Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 × weight in kg) + (1.8 × height in cm) – (4.7 × age in years)
Men: BMR = 66 + (13.7 × weight in kg) + (5 × height in cm) – (6.8 × age in years)
WHY TO KNOW YOUR BMR
Lose fat- In order to lose fat, one should be concerned with their fat burning capacity so that an individual must consume lesser calories then he/she can burn.
Gain fat- One should be concerned with their BMR which will help them in gaining weight according to their body type.
To maintain weight: – In this case, your calories consumption should be equal to burning capacity.
RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate)
Resting metabolic rate is the total number of calories burned when your body is completely at rest. RMR supports all the functionalities like in BMR breathing, circulating blood, organ functions, and basic neurological functions. It is proportional to lean body mass and also to be noted it decreases approximately 0.01 kcal/min for each 1% increase in the body fat.
HOW TO CALCULATE RMR (Rest Metabolic Rate)
- Men:
88.362 + (13.397 × weight in kg) + (4.799 × height in cm) – (5.677 × age in years)
- Women:
447.593 + (9.247 × weight in kg) + (3.098 × height in cm) – (4.330 × age in years)
IMPACT OF ACTIVITY ON CALORIE INTAKE
Remember guys you are healthy till the time your spine is flexible and flexibility comes from doing exercises or yoga. It’s completely fine to do things which your body likes too Protein and Carbohydrates giving a little to your body today will help you in the future. If u don’t want to do any sought-after muscular or weight lifting exercise that’s also okay but try to increase RMR by doing 5 mins of calorie cut down things like jump, dance, run, walk. The following various activity levels apply to an “activity factor” that we can just simply multiply by BMR/ RMR to calculate TDEE.
- Sedentary Lifestyle: – For people doing no exercise (multiply by 1.2)
- Lightly Active: – For people doing light weight exercise or indulged in any form of physical work (multiply by 1.375)
- Moderately Active — For people doing moderate exercises or any form of workout (multiply by 1.55)
- Highly Active — For people doing hard exercise or indulging in any form of intense workout. (multiply by 1.725)
The percentage or amount of carbs should go like this in an individual on a particular day from smaller (breakfast) to little higher (lunch) and then to lesser(dinner). Never, avoid carbs in your diet as when you start avoiding carbs completely your immune system becomes prone to it and after a quite often time it will not be able to digest your carbs in future.
Protein & Carbohydrates Calorie intake for an individual
| Category | Calorie requirement |
| Over weight | 20kcal/kg per day |
| Under weight | 40kcal/kg per day |
| Normal weight | 30kcal/kg per day |
| Elders (age above 50) should keep on decreasing as the age increases. | 30-40kcal/per day |
| Girls (1-14) years | 1000-1900 cal per year |
| Boys (1-14) | 1000-2100 cal per year |
| Children (1-2) years | 1000 cal per year |
CONTENT OF EACH MACROS TO BE TAKEN BY AN INDIVIDUAL.
This calorie diet should be followed by an individual to balance their healthy life in a good way. Other things required are BMR and RMR.
So, in a nutshell, each nutrient like carbs, protein, fat provides an important role in the body. It is very important to consume each of these nutrients in a balanced amount. And never confuse with the fact that taking only protein makes you fit, having each macros is what makes you fit and your body healthy.
Let’s know your macros for heathy diet :- What should be included in your diet.
For Protein: – Having cheese, a small cube of tofu (cheese with high protein), fish, chickpeas, yogurt, lentils, eggs, turkey, milk, turkey, nuts, chicken (omit if vegetarian). Protein powder, I would only recommend for those who are indulged in any kind of intense or weight lifting training otherwise take the all above sources mentioned for protein as they are sufficient to fulfil the body requirements of protein.
For carbs :- carbs are there in all the energy giving food but some of the rich source or we can say instant energy giving food are bananas(provides energy instantly), rice(any), whole grains, root vegetables, starchy vegetables, berries, juices, Quinoa (can be eaten instead of rice, has 5-6 gm more protein than rice. It’s a kind of cereal) , bread(multigrain is best). Any various other sources can also be food in different kinds of food.
For fats: – As we all know, extra food is converted fat. But some of the sources that must be taken along with these macros are avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, nut butter, dark chocolates (also beneficial for skin). Must Read – Best treadmill workout for cardiovascular fitness and fat burning?
