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Writer's pictureTanya Kurzbock

How To Use Macros For Weight Loss or Gain

Updated: Oct 7

With a gazillion weight loss programs, apps, and products out there, I felt it my duty to share with you the real way to lose or gain weight based on simple nutrition science facts. My blog will uncover the best way to lose fat, retain muscle, support healthy hormones, and keep your diet healthy doing it.




Enjoy the video workshop! The blog below has some additional info too, and the video covers some things not in the blog. It's a big topic, I hope you love what I have put together for you.

Protein and Carbs - FREE Handout

~ Tanya Kurzbock - Founder of Your Naturopath Online



Bonus handout!


Protein and Carbs Nutritional Information & Handy Food Lists CLICK HERE

 

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Macros For Weight Loss

Yoga for weight loss

We are going to cover everything you need to know for weight loss or weight gain outside the realm of being a performance athlete.

How to calculate your daily calorie needs

Step 1: Find your body weight in kilograms

Step 2: Multiply your weight in kilograms by 0.9 if you are a woman or 1.0 if you are a man.

Step 3: Multiply by 24

Step 4: Multiply by Lean Factor (see box)

Lean Factor Table

Lean table factor for weight loss

Step 5: Multiply by Activity Modifier


Lean table factor for weight loss

For weight loss, consume 400 - 500 calories less than your daily calorie needs

For gaining weight, start out at 500 calories/day more.


Pro tip - Do NOT reduce the calories from your daily protein allowance (more on that next!)













What are macros?

Macros is the shortened term for macronutrients.

Macro means large, so macronutrients are the nutrients that your body needs in big amounts. There are three macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.


In fact, every single diet in existence uses macros - they just have different ratios in them. Many diets are money-making machines - the marketing leads you to believe that it holds some secret key that only they know, and you need to follow that plan to get amazing results. Honestly, there is so much misleading marketing out there - don't fall into the trap! Instead, read this blog and learn about the Macros, and you will never be victim to shady diet promises again!


The other thing is that every person is different and will respond to diet differently. While some people do need specific guidance to correct a broken metabolism or work with a pre-existing medical concern, many people will get amazing results by keeping it simple and following these guidelines. And I'm not charging you to learn this 😉.


Protein is your weight loss or gain BFF

protein for weight loss

Protein is one of the three macronutrients and is responsible for many functions in the body, such as making hormones, enzymes, and immune antibodies, and affecting our metabolism. It also helps us to feel fuller for longer.


Protein is an “essential” macronutrient. Our body can’t store much protein (amino acids) so we need to eat it regularly.


Too little protein causes weakness, low energy, poor moods, skin issues, fluid retention, poor digestion, and a weakened immune system.

Too much protein overloads the kidneys and liver, causes fluid imbalances, constipation, and leads to an overly acidic system.


Aim to include a source of protein at every meal to stabilise your blood sugar and energy levels and build muscle and healthy bones.


Protein is the key macro for weight loss, muscle building, hormone health, and when recovering from any injury or illness.

Protein helps weight loss in the following ways:

  • It is lower in calories per gram.

  • It is thermogenic - you use more calories processing it.

  • Keeps you fuller, longer.

  • Reduces cravings

  • Modifies hormones - Protein has been shown to reduce levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and boosts the appetite-reducing hormones GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide-1)and PYY (Peptide YY)

Use a macro app and track your protein intake daily.


How much protein should I eat?

This will vary for the individual. As we can only store a small amount of proteins in the body, we need to be replenishing our levels regularly, so aim to eat some at every meal.



How do I get my protein needs on a plant-based diet?


Vegetarians and vegans require a variety of proteins throughout the day to meet their protein-combining needs.

Mix grains and legumes for a complete protein:

  • Black beans and rice

  • Pasta and peas

  • Whole wheat bread and peanut butter

  • Bean soup and crackers

Mix nuts and seeds plus legumes for a complete protein:

  • Roasted nuts, seeds, and peanuts

  • Hummus (chickpeas and tahini)

  • Lentils and almonds

Amaranth, quinoa, hemp seed, and chia are complete proteins and do not need to be combined with another protein source.


Carbs - everything you need to know!

Carbs - everything you need to know!
Carbohydrates are simply "sugars" in a variety of forms.

They supply us with quick-release energy. Different forms of carb release their sugars slowly, or quickly into the bloodstream. These forms come under categories:

  • Simple carb

  • Complex carb

  • Starchy carb

  • Non-starchy carb

How quickly they release their sugar into our body is measured by their Glycemic Index rating. The higher the GI (Glycemic Index), the faster the energy release in the body. By understanding how this works, you can know when to eat which category of carbs. We need the right amount, at the right times of the day.


simple vs starchy carbs

Simple carbs


Simple carbs provide immediate short-term energy by putting sugar quickly into our bloodstream - giving us that 'sugar high'.


Most people eat WAY too many simple carbs, driving prediabetes, hormone imbalance, obesity, and inflammation in the body.


But you actually can use simple carbs for weight loss if you are smart... and that is before and after a workout.


Here is a list of simple carbs:

  • Glucose, Fructose, Sucrose, Lactose, Maltose

  • Sugar (including white, raw and brown) Fruit, Honey, Agave, Alternative sugars, Any sweet syrup, Components of Dairy, White Bread,

  • Highly refined foods: Breads, Cereal, Biscuits, Noodles, Pasta, White rice, Cakes, Muffins, Pastry


Complex carb

Complex Carbs are healthy, rich in nutrients, keep you fuller longer, provide energy, provide fiber for the gut bacteria to eat, calm the nervous system, and provides endurance.

These are all things we NEED!

The trick to losing or gaining weight is choosing the right type of complex carb. For weight loss, opt for the non-starchy carbs. For weight gain, add in more starchy.

Why? Because starch breaks down into sugar in the body. And unused sugar is stored as fat.


Starchy Carbs list:

  • Wheat

  • Spelt

  • Ancient grain

  • Rye

  • Barley

  • Oats

  • Rice

  • Millet

  • Corn

  • Buckwheat

  • Amaranth

  • Quinoa (seed)

Starchy Vegetable list:

  • Sweet corn

  • Potato

  • Sweet potato

  • Pumpkin

All the other vegetables are non-starchy. Not some - ALL! So you have a LOT of variety!


Should I just go low carb? Or no carb?


If we do not eat carbs, our body will need to use the adrenal hormone cortisol for energy. We also gain energy from fat and muscle breakdown, but adrenal energy is easier and quicker for the body to utelise.


Most low-carb diets are actually low starchy carb, and this is why there is so much confusion out there! There are definitely reasons why someone would benefit from a low-carb diet, such as women with PCOS, or people that literally can not exercise. But you do need to watch your nutrition to ensure you are getting all the nutrients you require for a healthy body.


Some nutrients store in the body for a long time, others only for a few hours, so cutting out food groups for a period of time should be done with professional guidance, as doing this incorrectly can wreck your metabolism, lead to metabolic imbalances, and even lead to future diseases.


All about carb cycling


Carb cycling is a great strategy for weight loss, and minimises plateau time.

Carb cycling helps weight loss in a number of ways.

  1. It helps you fuel your body better for your workout days, helping you push harder, and recover better.

  2. It uses up any stored glucose in the muscles and liver from previous intake of excess starchy carbs.

  3. Can help maintain and build muscle mass.

  4. Helps improve insulin sensitivity.

  5. Keeps your body guessing so you don't fall into a metabolic pit of stagnation.

  6. Gives you times to eat carbs like grains, so you have less cravings.

  7. Balances hormones.

Carb cycling to boost metabolism!


On days when you’re working out, consume more carbs than on days when you’re not - especially right before the workout. This is because carbs are your body’s preferred source of fuel for exercise. They help you perform better and avoid fatigue.


On days when you’re not working out, eat very low carb - by avoiding the starchy carbs. Eating fewer starchy carbs on these days means less fat storage.


Pre-workout simple carb ideas:

  • Medjool Dates

  • Toast or corn thin with honey

  • Banana

  • Sports drink

  • Fruit Juice


Do I need to carb load?

Most people do not need to worry about carb loading. There are a few different types of carb loading, but all strategies involve increasing the number of carbs you eat and temporarily decreasing the amount you exercise.

Carb loading is only useful in the preparation for athletic events lasting more than 90 minutes.

As an example, I will carb load if I am doing an intense day hike the next day - but that is about it in my own personal requirement at the time of writing this blog! In this example, I do a 1-day carb load the day before, where I eat 10 grams per kg body of carbs. (Hello pizza!)


Carb loading is unnecessary for weight training or other exercise involving short bursts of activity.

Studies showed that carb loading did not improve performance during high-intensity cycling lasting less than 20 minutes.


When you’re carb-loading, it may be best to choose high-carb foods that are low in fat to avoid consuming too many calories.


I don't care what anyone else says - weight loss or gain is all about calories! However, our daily calorie requirements can be changed by exercise, some diet approaches (like Keto), hormones, where you are at in your menstrual cycle, sauna and ice tub dips, and even environmental factors like climate. All these variable factors are why you need to track and tweak your macros weekly for results.



fats for weight loss

Fats

Fat makes up cell membranes, promotes nerve and brain health, and increases the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Fats help protect your bones and organs.

Fats decrease appetite.

They are a backup fuel store for energy - which is why you can go without carbs, and increase fats on the Keto diet.

Fats are the most calorie dense of the macros - 9 calories per gram. Whereas protein and carbs have 4.

Fats do not make you gain weight - eating too many calories does.



Keep it simple for fat loss

Step 1. Calculate your daily calorie needs - and redo this weekly. Deduct up to 500 calories for weight loss.

Step 2. Calculate your protein requirement daily and plan that first.

Step 3. Choose your carb sources of your exercise days. Then fill in the rest of your daily calorie allowance with fat.

Step 4. On the remaining low carb days, plan your protein first, then let the non-starchy complex carbs and fats just fall into place.

You can add in intermittent fasting if you like as well, there are many tweaks that can be made when tracking your macros.

You can track in a macro app for ease.

The key to success is consistency and adjustments!

You can do it alone - I’ve given you the tools…..

Or you can do it with a coach, and a group!



I have helped hundreds of people with weight loss - particularly hormonal weight.

I have found that running group programs makes a program more effective, increases accountability, and makes the process more enjoyable.

Many people are good for the first few weeks of a weight loss plan, but undo their good work in the most important phase - the maintenance phase. My weight loss program will hold you through this danger period.

While there are many routes to weight loss, I have discovered the fastest one.


Emotional Weight

If you feel that there are emotional blocks behind your weight, we offer NLP and Time Line Therapy packages to shift this and catapault you to a new level of empowered identity. Learn more about this HERE.


Hormonal and Toxic Weight

If you have really intense stubborn weight, our specialised functional pathology packages are worth looking into, as they can uncover the specific issues, allowing nuanced and targeted therapy. Learn more HERE.


 
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