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by Frank Occhipinti & Esperanza Byrd
In previous articles we discussed why fad diets fail, the importance of nutrition
and how to figure out how many calories a person can consume in order to lose
weight. The next step is to understand how to figure out the ratios of protein,
carbohydrates and fat necessary for a healthy diet and create a healthy menu plan
with the correct ratio of nutrients.
Most
People Underestimate the Number of Calories Actually Being Consumed
Creating a menu plan and sticking with it will help you consistently eat the correct
number of calories to lose weight. The first place to start is to determine how
much protein you need in your diet. A very simple way to determine your protein
requirements is to remember that you need about 1 gram of protein for every pound
of Lean Body Mass (LBM). Some people will need more or less depending on activity
and weight loss goals.
Going back to the example of the 130-pound
woman who has 93 pounds of LBM, on a 1529 calorie diet she would need 93 grams
of protein a day or 24% of her total calories. Below is the formula used to calculate
these amounts. - 93 * 4 = 372 calories coming
from protein (LBM * 4 calories per gram of protein)
- 372/1529 = 24
% of your calories coming from protein
The ratios above fall within
the ADA (American Dietetic Association) guidelines. One note on the ADA guidelines
is that they are just that, only guidelines and are based on a 2000 to 2500 calorie
diet so your percentages may vary depending on the amount of calories you intake.
To read more about the ADA guidelines click here: http://www.eatright.org/. For
example, the ADA guidelines become ambiguous when you go on a diet of 1200 calories*
because on a 1200 calorie diet, 31% of the calories would come from protein (372/1200
= 31 %).
Eating Right Takes Practice!
Whether it's a new sport or algebra, learning something new like eating
right takes practice. A great technique to try that will help you learn to eat
right for your goals and stay consistent is to write your menu plan down. On paper
it becomes portable. You can take it with you and have easy access to it anywhere.
Remember, consistency is the key to losing weight. Next decide how many meals
you can realistically eat every day, including snacks. Keeping with the above
example, divide the 93 grams of protein up by that many meals. I recommend five
meals a day, which would come to 18 grams of protein at every meal (93/5= 18 grams).
Your body can only assimilate 25 to 30 grams of protein every two to three hours
so try not to eat all your protein requirements at one meal. Examples of protein
sources are chicken, beef, fish, eggs, milk and whey protein, which is found in
many protein supplements.
Now think about your three major meals:
breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you divided up your calories (1500 calories/5
meals) the same way you did your protein it would come to about 300 calories a
meal. The objective is to figure out what you can eat at those meals that has
enough protein to meet your requirements. For example, at breakfast you could
have eggs and milk. Two egg whites, a whole egg and an 8oz glass of milk would
equal 20 grams of protein and five grams of fat, which only totals 181 calories.
Add another 100 calories of carbohydrates to this meal which could come from foods
such as fruit, toast or cereal, you would end up with a balanced meal that had
20 grams of protein (26%), 5 grams of fat (15%), and 44 grams of carbohydrates
(59%).
Once you have the above calculations down, figuring out what
you can eat, the total calories and nutritional percentages simply becomes a matter
of habit.
The Nutrient Breakdown
Protein:
You need protein in your diet
to maintain lean body mass and tissue. Without adequate protein in your diet your
body will breakdown other proteins (tissues) to use as needed by the body.
Fat:
Fat helps with cellular functions
and the production of hormones. Without an adequate amount of fat, especially
the good fat (monounsaturated or polyunsaturated) your body will produce it for
you but will not produce the essential fatty acids your body needs.
Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are used for
energy by the body and are also known as protein sparing. Which simply means that
if there is not a sufficient amount of carbohydrates in your diet, your body will
turn to protein for energy and that takes away from tissue building. You may have
heard the myth that carbohydrates turn to fat. This is not true. Your body will
convert the any excess calories to fat regardless of whether they are carbohydrates
or protein. Sample Menu Plan
| Breakfast | Serving
Size | Quantity | Calories
| % Cal from Fat | %
Cal from Carb | % Cal from Prot |
| Egg whole, raw, fresh | 1
extra large serving | 1 | 86 | 61 | 2 | 35 |
| Egg white, raw, fresh | 1
large egg white | 2 | 33 | 0 | 7 | 96 |
| Multivitamin | 1
each | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oatmeal | 1/2
cup | 1 | 150 | 18 | 72 | 13 |
| Brown Sugar | 1
teaspoon | 3 | 45 | 0 | 107 | 0 |
| Morning Snack |
| Banana | 1 | 1 | 105 | 0 | 99 | 4 |
| Lunch |
| Tomatoes, red ripe | 1
cup | 1 | 9 | 0 | 85 | 12 |
| Lettuce, loose leaf, raw | 1
leaf | 3 | 5 | 0 | 79 | 14 |
| Bread, whole wheat | 1
slice | 2 | 138 | 14 | 71 | 15 |
| Chicken Breast | 1
breast | 1 | 200 | 32 | 0 | 70 |
| Apples, raw, with skin | 1
cup | 1 | 65 | 0 | 92 | 0 |
| Afternoon Snack |
| Cookies, oatmeal, soft type | 1
cookie | 2 | 123 | 32 | 63 | 6 |
| Dinner |
| Salmon, pink, cooked, dry heat | 3oz | 1 | 127 | 24 | 0 | 75 |
| Rice, white, long-grain, cooked | 1
cup | 1 | 200 | 0 | 91 | 7 |
| Broccoli, cooked, boiled | 1
medium stalk | 1 | 50 | 0 | 64 | 26 |
| Lettuce, iceberg | 1
cup shredded | 2 | 13 | 0 | 60 | 20 |
| Salad dressing, Italian, reg | 1
tablespoon | 2 | 140 | 91 | 8 | 1 |
| Calories | Total
Fat
(g)
| Sat Fat
(g)
| Carb
(g) | Fiber (g) | Prot
(g) | Chol (mg) | Sodium
(mg) | | Total
Intake | 1489.5 | 40.3 | 8.7 | 189.7
| 19.7 | 95.8 | 401.2 | 1973.8 |
| % Daily Value | 80.1
| 67.3 | 46.6 | 68 | 88.2 | 187.3 | 133.7 | |
| % Cal from Fat | %
Cal from Carbs
| % Cal from Protein |
| Total Intake | 24%
| 50% | 25% |
*Fitness Prescriptions does not recommend
going on a diet of less than 1200 calories. It is highly recommended that you
consult your physician before starting any diet or exercise program.
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