Week 1 of Body Recomp – I Know My Body’s Composition, Now What?
| For more than a century, the Body Mass Index (BMI) has been universally relied upon as a measure of health and wellness. We now know this measure is outdated with limited metrics andcritical flaws. While perhaps slightly more useful than looking at scale weight (another flawed measure), BMI does not distinguish between excess fat, muscle, or bone mass, nor does it provide any indication of the distribution of fat within the body. When it comes to assessing the impact of your fitness, nutritional, or lifestyle changes, there are other, more valuable indicators of progress—first and foremost of which is your body composition. Body composition has been embraced in the last few decades by medical science as one of our most effective measures of body fat and overall health. Defined simply, your body composition is the total amount of fat, muscle, bone, and water in your body. Body composition analysis goes beyond your weight and the traditional body mass index (BMI) to reveal your body’s proportions of fat mass and lean mass. Fat mass refers to all the different fat in your body, while lean mass refers to your muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, internal organs… essentially everything in your body that isn’t fat. Regardless of your health goals and fitness level, it’s wise to keep a close eye on your body composition over time. Understanding your body’s composition allows one to track and measure progress to see what is working or not working given their current fitness and nutritional efforts and to make tweaks accordingly. It also allows one to catch unwanted changes such as unnecessary fat gain, muscle loss, or bone density loss before it balloons into much larger problems—like chronic illnesses. And lastly, it allows one to set attainable, time-bound goals so there’s an understanding of the time it takes for your body to make the changes you want. Armed with information, you’ll be able to set attainable health and weight optimization goals within an appropriate time frame. I KNOW MY BODY’S COMPOSITON, SO WHAT? Body recomposition is a unique process that challenges the traditional notion of focusing solely on weight loss or muscle gain. The main objective is to achieve a balance between losing body fat and building muscle, ultimately reshaping your body composition. This approach is particularly beneficial for individuals who want to improve their overall body shape and achieve a more sculpted appearance. Not only will you achieve a leaner and more sculpted physique, but you will also experience enhanced overall strength and improved metabolic function. Additionally, body recomposition can have a positive impact on your mental well-being, boosting self-confidence and self-esteem. Unlike crash diets or extreme exercising, this approach focuses on gradual and sustainable changes. By prioritizing a balanced diet and regular exercise, you can maintain your results over time and avoid the pitfalls of yo-yo dieting. Studies have shown that people with more muscle mass tend to be healthier. Muscle mass is also a predictor of longevity and well-being in older adults. When it comes to body recomposition, nutrition plays a critical role along with exercise, sleep (recovery) and hydration. Think of them as metabolic switches in your body that when turned on will help you improve your body composition each day. Keeping these metabolic switches flipped on through daily habits will help you walk the path towards your best body. There’s lots to learn as they are all closely related and equally important, but let’s start with nutrition. That’s not to say you shouldn’t do all the rest at the same time, but nutrition is probably the most confusing for most. |
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THE ROLE OF DIET IN BODY RECOMPOSITION The key to successful body recomposition lies in your dietary choices. How you fuel your body matters. If you want to build your best body, then you need the proper nutrients. The higher the quality, the better your structure. Nutrition is how you provide your body the fuel and building blocks to chisel your masterpiece. You might be thinking right now, “what is FAT”? Let’s simplify! Fat is how your body efficiently stores energy. When you overeat, the calories you didn’t burn get stored. 1 gram of fat is 9 calories. This means 1lb of fat has ~3,500 calories. We can use butter as a visual proxy. It’s basically pure fat as is. 1 pound of fat is equal to 4 sticks of butter in volume. So if you lose 1lb of pure fat, you lose the equivalent of 4 sticks of butter. Losing 5lbs of fat is equivalent to 20 sticks of butter off your body! |
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| Pretty gnarly way to look at it, right? But it’s pretty accurate. Losing a little bit of body fat daily can make a big change over time. Unfortunately, the inverse is also true. Fat is 20% less dense than muscle. This means it takes up 20% more space. So if you trade 1lb of fat for 1lb of muscle —Your weight doesn’t change but your health and appearance do! EVERY BODY is different. You need a plan that fits you and builds lean muscle as you burn off body fat. How? Focusing on HIGH PROTIEN and HIGH QUALITY nutrition! Here’s the tough truth about transforming the composition of your body: what you eat is what you become. That’s just the way it is. You can train hard day in and day out, but if you’re not fueling up right, nothing is going to change. Diets vary quantitively across one or more of the following principles and there is an estimate relative effect size for the five principles of dieting: *Calorie Balance: how many calories you eat per day relative to how many you burn (50%) *Macronutrient Amounts: how many grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fat you eat per day (30%) *Nutrient Timing: when and how you spread your total and take across daily meals (10%) *Food Composition: the sources of macronutrients you consume (5%) *Supplements Use and Hydration: how much and what what type (if any) dietary supplements you consume in your level of hydration (5%) Please note, these percentages only apply to the extent an individual adheres to a given diet. A perfectly planned calorie balance, for example, will not have the desired effect if the dieter is not eating those planned calories. By getting to know the diet principal hierarchy, we can ensure that our hard efforts are being spent where they are most effective. |
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LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK! Calorie Balance – Any means of achieving a calorie deficit will result in weight loss and any means of achieving a calorie surplus will result in weight gain. In the simplest terms, a calorie is a unit of measurement for energy. Macronutrient Amounts – Namely proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, all of which play a fundamental role in body recomposition. Carbs fuel your body with immediate energy. Protein provides amino acids, essential for building muscle, skin, blood, and important structures of the brain and nervous system. And fat is vital for brain development, insulation, energy reserves, cell function, and protection of your organs. Nutrient timing – a planned alteration of macronutrient intake in order to promote health, workout performance, and get/stay lean. Nutrient timing strategies are based on how the body handles different types of food at different times. Food Consumption – While most foods contain a combination of macronutrients, some sources are better than others for specific macronutrients. Supplements Use and Hydrations – While the best way to fuel your body is via whole foods, supplements certainly have their place in a well-formulated nutrition plan. Some examples are whey protein powders, omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil), multivitamin/mineral supplements, electrolytes, and even caffeine (whoo hoo!!). Calculating MacrosFirst, it’s best to start by calculating your daily calorie needs. Why??? Because you can’t burn fat if you overeat, and you can’t gain muscle if you undereat – regardless of your macros! Using a Macro Calculator is great for determining how much you need to eat to build muscle while losing fat in order to reach your health and fitness goals!! Try out this FREE macro calculator which will provide you with a custom nutrition plan—complete with macros, calories, and portions—personalized for your body and your goals. Calculate your Macros for FREE here: https://www.precisionnutrition.com/nutrition-calculator This macro calculator ROCKS because it is super easy to understand the results! The calculator automatically converts your calorie and macronutrient needs into food portions that are visually equivalent to different parts of your hand. This means that it provides a method for you to follow your nutrition plan without weighing or measuring your food. Number of Calories Per MacronutrientWhy does tracking macros help you automatically track calories? Because each macronutrient provides a certain number of calories:1 gram of protein = 4 calories1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories1 gram of fat = 9 calories(1 gram of alcohol = 7 calories)By logging how many grams of each macronutrient you eat every day, you’ll know the number of calories you consume from protein, carbohydrates, and fat, respectively – and, as a result, the total number of calories you’re consuming. Hitting your macro and calorie targets helps you support your appetite, hormones, and energy levels, and ultimately your health and fitness goals. While specific food choices may vary based on individual preferences, dietary restrictions, and cultural considerations, incorporating nutrient-dense whole foods is essential. It’s best to eat more on workout days (the increased carbs fuel your workouts) and less on non-workout days. Protein remains relatively constant throughout – muscle recovery can happen anytime. SHOULD I TRACK MY MACROS?Not everybody needs to track their macronutrient intake. But plenty of people find that as their fitness and physique goals get more specific, dialing in their nutrition in this way helps them fuel their training and achieve better results. According to one expert, it can be helpful even if it’s just a temporary experiment. The best way to determine your calorie needs is to track what you are currently eating for 7-14 days to determine your average caloric intake for body weight maintenance. Once you determine your average daily intake, subtract 300-500 calories from that to determine calorie needs for a moderate deficit. Sample Body Recomposition Macros/Calories CalculationFor example, if you determine that your estimated daily intake is 2500 calories, then a moderate deficit would be 2200 – 2000 calories daily. To determine your macronutrient needs, use the following calculations:Calorie needs: 2000 caloriesProtein: 2000 cals x 0.30 = 600 (cals) / 4 (cals/g) = 150 grams of proteinCarbs: 2000 cals x 0.35 = 700 (cals) / 4 (cals/g) = 175 grams of carbsFat: 2000 cals x 0.35 = 700 (cals) / 9 (cals/g) = 77.8 grams of fatHow to Track CaloriesTracking calories involves recording the number of calories consumed from different foods and beverages throughout the day. This can be done using smartphone apps like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer, online food databases, or keeping a food diary. Tracking calories can be a bit of a pain but ultimately essential if you want to lose body fat and achieve your ideal body composition. What if I’m Too Busy to Track Macros and Calories?If tracking macros and calories feels overwhelming, there are alternative approaches. Focus on making mindful food choices, prioritizing whole foods, and portion control. Aim for balanced meals with an appropriate distribution of protein, carbs, and fats. Seeking guidance from a registered dietitian or nutritionist can also provide personalized strategies without the need for detailed tracking. This will be the most sustainable approach long term to lose fat, gain muscle, and achieve the body composition that you’re looking for!! |
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| Disclaimer: As always, please consult with a healthcare provider before beginning any new exercise program. |
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