Diet Fundamentals: Know What to Eat to Smash Your Goals
Gentleman. Are you tired of feeling lost in a sea of conflicting diet advice? Wondering what to eat to actually see results?Â
Along with exercise and sleep, your diet is among “The Big 3” for your health and wellbeing. Funnily enough, much like the other two, the excuse “I’m busy and have no time” is not valid for something so important.
Something that is valid however is that nutrition can be a bit complicated, especially in this social media world where everyone is an expert who has something bad to say about practically every food available. So we really have to push aside the garbage and go back to basics.
“Good bodies are built in the kitchen, more so than the gym.“
As it is the new year, many of us set goals to improve our health. Regardless of your goals – be it weight loss or weight/muscle gain – it is said that 70% of your results are determined by your diet. Good bodies are built in the kitchen, more so than the gym. So it’s certainly worth taking the time to understand your diet. Here we’ll discuss a few things including:
- What are calories and how you can calculate your needs
- What are macronutrients
- How much you need to eat and how often
- What foods you should be eating to hit your goals
- Making your diet plan easy
Feel free to click on any section in the table of contents that interests you to jump right into it.
Why Calories Matter
In a nutshell, calories are basically the amount of energy contained in your food or drinks. When we eat, our bodies convert these calories into energy to fuel all bodily functions.
Why are calories are important for weight loss/gain ?
The principle of energy balance dictates that to maintain body weight, the number of calories consumed must equal the number of calories expended. To lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than you burn (creating a calorie deficit), while to gain weight, you need to consume more than you burn (creating a calorie surplus).
It’s easy to see how calories are important for your overall diet and wellbeing. For those looking to lose weight or gain muscle, knowing how many calories to eat daily is pretty important. This allows you to tailor your diet plan and macronutrient intake (we’ll come to this in just a minute) according to your specific goals, whether it’s maintaining weight, losing weight (cutting) or gaining weight (bulking).
What are Macronutrients ?
You’ve probably heard of macronutrients before. Commonly referred to as “macros”, these are nutrients that your body needs in larger amounts to maintain most of the processes.
These are basically carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
How to Calculate Your Caloric Needs for Weight Loss or Muscle Gain
If you’re not sure where to start, I have good news for you! Getting a good idea of your caloric needs has never been easier. All it takes is 2 steps.
Step 1: Calculate Your Needs
Start by finding out roughly how many calories your body burns per day. This is called your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). This will give you an idea of what your body needs.
TDEE Calculator
Try out this simple calculator to calculate how many calories you need to eat each day.
Once you’ve calculated your caloric needs, the website also gives you a lot of other good estimates, including:
- Your ideal weight
- BMI
- Maximum muscular potential
- Macronutrient requirements
Step 2: Know Your Macros
The last thing you need to plan your daily needs is to take a look at that macronutrient section to see how much carbohydrates, protein and fats you need to eat.
Another good thing about this site is that you can choose whether your goal is maintenance (maintain weight), cutting (lose weight) or bulking (gain weight) and even adjust it according to your carb preference.
AND YOU’RE DONE!
You now know how many calories you need to eat in a day, along with the individual macronutrients. All that’s left to do is put it all together in a clear plan.
Making Your Nutrition Gameplan
Once you’ve calculated your caloric and macronutrient requirements, you just have to eat accordingly, and unsurprisingly, this is the hardest part.
Step 1: Break It Down by Meal
Depending on your goals, you may be having 2, 3 or even 5 meals a day. So just split your macronutrients by the number of meals you want to have. You can throw in a snack or two as well. Here’s an example of what that would look like:
Example Day 1 (2556 calories)
Example Day 2 – Lower Carb (2500 calories)
Alpha Tip
Do what works for you! Always think long-term.
If you’re not going to stick to it, it’s not a long term solution. Which means you’re setting yourself up for failure. It’s ok if you’re a bit above or below your target from time to time. Enjoy the process and make gradual improvements over time.
Step 2: Keep Track of What You Eat
Now that you know what to do, you have to keep track of what you eat. This is where a lot of people struggle because no one knows what’s really in their food.
Think of a meal you eat regularly. Chicken & rice? A burger? Spaghetti bolognese? How many calories is in each? What about the macronutrients? God knows. This is why we have to keep track of what we eat – at least initially until we get a good idea.
Introducing nutrition-tracking apps. There are a lot of apps out there now that help you enter your goals and all the food & drinks you consume on a daily basis. Some of the best ones I’ve tried include:
As you add things, it will tell you how many calories as well as the nutrient profile. The great thing about these apps is that you can search the extensive database for common foods, create your own recipes and even scan product barcodes to easily get the nutrition information. They even have premium features such as taking photos of your plate, where AI can calculate everything for you. I am yet to try it, but it sounds insane.
“I strongly advise you use an app in the beginning especially until you get a good idea about portion sizes and what’s in different foods“
Do note that you would have to weigh most foods initially. I know this can be a bit cumbersome, but otherwise you would have no idea how much to log, especially if you’re new to calorie counting. A 50g chicken breast obviously has much less protein compared to a 150g chicken breast.
Again, I strongly advise you use an app in the beginning especially until you get a good idea about portion sizes and what’s in different foods.
Smart Foods to Eat
Alright gentleman, you’ve come this far. You’ve calculated your needs and created your nutrition masterplan. There is one last piece to this healthy lifestyle puzzle and that revolves around what to eat.
Eating healthy is never easy, but it doesn’t have to be that hard either. There are a lot of good food out there which you can eat. If you just focus on eating predominantly smart carbs, proteins and fats, you’re gonna be alright. Even if you throw in a couple ‘less-healthy’ things from time to time.
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Fats
Alpha Tip
Pick foods that you enjoy. Don’t base your whole diet around things you dislike. It’ll never last. Start gradually.
Go ahead and include a few of your ‘less-healthy’ foods. As you get better with your diet, you will naturally want to reduce those or replace them with healthier alternatives. Think dark chocolate instead of regular chocolate, whole grain bread instead of sliced white bread. You body will thank you.Â
Benefits You Will Feel From Eating Healthier
I don’t think anyone needs to be told why they should eat healthier. Honestly, if you just look at the ingredients and nutrition labels of things you’re buying and you will really be surprised how much junk people are consuming nowadays. It really is no surprise why health issues are normal.
Here are just a few benefits you can experience within just a few days of eating healthier:
- You won’t feel hungry as often
- Better energy balance and less energy crashes
- Reduced body fat levels
- Improved insulin and sugar levels
- Enhanced mental clarity
The Bottom Line
Gentleman. Navigating the world of diet and nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated. All is takes is a few simple steps and a fair bit of discipline to take your health to a whole new level.
You can fix your entire diet and change your life in 4 steps:
- Calculate your caloric and macro requirements
- Make a plan for your meals
- Monitor your meals to make sure you’re following your plan
- Eat the right foods for maximum benefit
Remember, you don’t have to eat perfectly right away. Include foods you like even if they’re not great and make gradual improvements over time. Need some chocolate? Go for it. Just be smart and keep everything in moderation. Prioritize whole foods while allowing yourself the occasional treat – moderation is essential for sustainability.
By embracing these simple steps and taking charge of your diet, you’ll not only see physical results in your body but you’ll also experience a host of other health benefits. So the next time you ask what to eat, you’ll be prepared.
So tell me gentleman, are you ready to fix your diet once and for all?
Stay Healthy Gentleman