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NUCC Headquarters Company

Diet & Nutrition Guidance for AY 2017-18

Prepared & Assembled By Cadet Chandler Heath

Norwich University Class of 2018

Contents General Nutrition and Common Fitness Myths……………………………………... 1

The Fundamentals of Losing, Maintaining, and Gaining Weight………………...... 2

Determining Maintenance Calories & Popular Calorie Equations………………… 3

Macronutrients vs. Micronutrients & Daily Caloric Intake………………………... 6

Breaking Down Macronutrients……………………………………………………… 8

Flexible Dieting a.k.a If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM)………………………………10

The 70-30 Rule………………………………………………………………………… 11

Intermittent Fasting (an optional resource)…………………………………………. 12

Tools for Success (helpful applications)……………………………………………… 13

Summing it all Up (Staying Active and Remaining Accountable)…………………. 15

Sources & Additional References…………………………………………………….. 17

General Nutrition and Common Fitness MythsThere are a variety of myths associated with fitness and nutrition that often complicate one’s ability to identify what he or she must do in order to achieve their desired fitness goals.  As a result of this, it is often quite difficult for people to stay consistent while attempting to achieve what is necessary to become healthier or increase physical performance.  As we begin picking a part the age old myths that plague the fitness and nutrition world(s), we will begin to see how maintaining a healthy lifestyle and living an overall awesome life can be much easier, and more fun, than one would initially imagine.

Cut out sweets/desserts and only focus on consuming lean proteins, vegetables, and whole grains.  

It doesn't matter how much you eat so long as the quality of foods are considered “healthy.”

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Consume smaller meals throughout the day so that you can keep your metabolism up, thus increasing your fat-burning capability.

You need to spend at least 1 hour a day performing physical activity to get the results you want.

Your body can only process a certain amount of protein, fats, and carbohydrates at once; this is why meal timing is important.

Working your abdominals each and every day is the only way to get a six pack.

Working out in the morning will promote fat loss over time much faster than during the day or in the evenings, etc.

Diet sodas give you cancer and make you fat.

How many times have you heard someone claim one (or more) of the above statements?  I would imagine many times.  Even so called “professionals” within the fitness realm are often quoted with having stated similar information.  The fact of the matter is, none of the above information is accurate, at least not completely.  Can science back any of this up?  Perhaps, but if you endeavor to find out more, you will come to find that the studies associated with each of the above notions are generally (if not almost always) inconclusive.  Throughout this guide, you will learn how to not only figure out HOW to achieve your fitness goals, but also (and most importantly) have the ability to start building a regimen that works best for YOU in the long term, and is thus sustainable.  In other words, you will know how to build a fitness plan that will work for you rather than against you, and one that will yield not only real, but also better results for you, altogether

The Fundamentals of Losing, Maintaining, and Gaining WeightHow does one actually lose weight?  How does one gain weight?  And if you're someone who is happy with where you're at for the time being, how do you ensure proper maintenance of your current weight/physique?  For gaining weight, we are all quite familiar with how this works, at least in concept: you overeat!  Simple, right?  What about those individuals who are younger and who eat virtually anything that they want but don’t seem to gain a single ounce as a result?  The answer is, as I am sure most of you are aware, genetics.  The fact of the matter is, some people find it harder to gain as well as lose weight simply because of their genetic makeup.  This highlights an even more important factor, though, when it comes to dieting and nutrition. Different people, from different genetic backgrounds and make-ups require that they fulfill different needs in order to gain the results that they want.  So how the hell do we go about finding this out, and more importantly, where do we start?  The answer is, in a nutshell, quite simple:

To Lose Weight:  You must eat at a calorie deficit.  This means burning more calories each day then you are taking in. When it comes to strictly losing weight, WHAT we eat, really does not matter.

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Twinkies, nutty bars, and powdered donuts. For 10 weeks, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, ate one of these sugary cake lets every three hours, instead of meals. To add variety in his steady stream of Hostess and Little Debbie snacks, Haub munched on Doritos chips, sugary cereals and Oreos, too. His premise: That in weight loss, pure calorie counting is what matters most -- not the nutritional value of the food. The premise held up on his "convenience store diet," and he was able to shed 27 pounds in two months.

Do I suggest adopting this diet in order to achieve your fitness goals and have “fun” while doing it? NO! However, Haub’s results beg the question, what does it mean to be healthy? We have been programmed to think that eating healthy equates to losing weight, however, there is a lot more to it than just that.

So what does it mean to be truly healthy? Well, try defining “healthy foods” for starters. There are very few, if any, foods that are actively unhealthy for you when you eat them. Rather, when foods that are low in micronutrient density dominate your diet (foods that in other words, contain empty calories) then we run the risk of developing micronutrient deficiency, and that is unhealthy. Woah! Wait a flippin’ minute! What the hell is a micronutrient? Don’t worry, we’ll cover that in a later chapter; just hang tight!

Over the course of this guide, we will identify that our bodies are essentially giant “science-equations” that have certain needs that must be met in order to lose, gain, or maintain our bod-weight as well as shedding body fat; but the most important factor, for now, is understanding that when it comes to weight loss, and by extension, fat loss, eating at a caloric deficit is the most important factor to consider.

To Maintain Weight: You must determine your resting metabolic rate (or something close to it) that is accurate and proportional to the amount of food you eat in a day, and therefore, the amount of physical activity that you experience each day.  In other words, Energy IN = Energy OUT.

To Gain Weight:  This one is easy; eat at a calorie surplus!  But if you wish to gain muscle instead of fat, then the proper caloric intake as well as macronutrient intake/ratio is essential, (but more on that later). What the hell is a macronutrient? Don’t worry; again, we’ll cover this in a later chapter.

Determining Your Maintenance Calories (Popular Calorie Equations)There are a multitude of age-old fitness equations that have existed for years; many of them derive from the research and texts that have been assembled by famed nutritionists from around the world. Here are some of the more popular variants that have been utilized by fitness-buffs for decades:

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The Harris Benedict Equation

Men

66.5 + (13.75 X weight in kg) + (5.003 X height in cm) - (6.775 X age in

years)

Women

655.1 + (9.563 X weight in kg) + (1.85 X height in cm) - (4.676 X age in years)

The Katch-McArdle Formula

Men & Women

21.6 * Fat Free Mass + 370

Where Fat Free Mass = Weight - (Body Fat Percentage * Weight)

The Mifflin-St. Jeor (arguably the most accurate of the 3 equations)

Men

10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (y) + 5

Women

10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (y) - 161

Pretty complicated right? I mean, unless you’re a STEM major of sorts, then feel free to try your hand at any of the above methods in order to determine your daily caloric needs.

Like all of these equations, however, these are all mere ESTIMATIONS. It is truly quite difficult to find a sure-fire way to be able to calculate virtually anyone’s dietary needs through one, single method. The above formulas are a great way to establish a starting point, though.

If you find the above equations to be a tad too complicated for your own preference, have no fear, I have included a very helpful (and much, much simpler formula) that I have broken down step by step. The catch is, this particular methodology is only useful for those of us who are already at or under 25% body fat (for men) and 35% body fat (for women). Considering that we are members of an organization who follows relatively precise and strenuous fitness standards (the Corps of Cadets), I would say that this is most of us. For those of you who are not at, or below the percentage thresholds of 25% (for men) and 35% (for women), here are links to calculators that are powered by algorithms that follow the above formulas (ain’t technology great).

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Harris Benedict Method

http://manytools.org/handy/bmr-calculator/

Katch-McArdle Method

http://www.burnthefatinnercircle.com/members/Katch-McArdle-Calorie-Calculator-For-Men-And-Women.cfm

Mifflin-St. Jeor Method (preferred)

http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html

For those of you who are curious to see what I have come up with (for the sake of simplicity) defer to the following section:

Listen up liberal arts majors, ‘cause we are gonna have to do a little bit of math to figure this one out.  The good news is, it's all as simple as plug and chug:

If you are either right at, or below 25% body fat (as a male) or 35% body fat (as a female), take your current body weight and multiply by the value, 15.

Example (for a 175 person):

(175 lbs) x (15) = 2,625 calories for maintenance

For a person weighing in at 175 pounds, approximately 2,625 calories each day is what is necessary to maintain their weight of 175 pounds.

If you are someone who is 175 pounds and you wish to lose weight, then you would need to follow the following formula:

(Current Weight) x (15) x (0.80) = Number of Calories (at a Deficit) to Lose Weight

Example:

(175 lbs) x (15) x (0.80) = 2,100 calories are required (minimum) for weight loss

To gain weight (notably, lean mass) a controlled intake of calories at a surplus is required.  What is often considered to be a “dirty bulk” in the fitness world is when individuals elect to eat whatever they can and as much as they can in order to put on more mass.  When something is

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uncontrolled then it is difficult to control the kind of results you wish to see over an extended period of time; but just HOW do these calories break down exactly?  

Simply eating the necessary amount of calories during a 24 hour period is not enough to reach your individual fitness goals; rather, this is simply one large gear in a much larger machine. Caloric intake is the biggest factor, however, when losing weight we want to burn fat, not muscle.  So how do we target that pesky body fat?

NOTE: For those of you who are looking to lose body fat, understand that the body is an incredible, and thus, adaptable machine.  Once you set your deficit, steadily decreasing your overall caloric intake is key.  In other words, if your deficit is, say 2,100 calories each day, then after 2-2.5 weeks of hitting this intake each day, decrease your caloric intake by 50 or so calories (this is going to require that you “listen” to your body first). The body does its best to adapt to newer habits as a biological response to trying to keep us alive, so naturally, we are required to slowly account for this by changing things up every now and again so as to prevent ourselves from plateauing.  

Again, this is where we’re gonna have to listen to our bodies.  Everyone reacts differently because of their own, unique genetic makeup.        

Macronutrients vs Micronutrients & Daily Caloric IntakeAh, finally, some answers…

Macronutrients are defined as the types of foods (i.e., proteins, fats, carbohydrates) that make up, and are thus required for human consumption.  Macronutrients are vital when paired with the necessary amount of calories that a person must consume in order to reach their fitness and nutrition goals because they represent how the total number of calories are broken down.  Caloric and macronutrient intake are what make-up the overall dietary budget that an individual must abide by each and every day (a.k.a. each 24 hour period).

Micronutrients are the vitamins, minerals, trace elements, phytochemicals, and antioxidants found in natural food sources. They are essential to one's overall health and are most commonly found in fruits and vegetables. Micronutrients will not help an individual gain weight, but rather help maintain one’s total health. Multivitamins can help supplement your daily meals, but are no replacement for healthy eating. Planning a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables into our diets will not only provide most, (if not all) needed micronutrients, but will also help us feel fuller longer, aiding us in staying within our daily calorie budgets. As with whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables come packed with fiber, helping us to keep our eating in check and tiding us over between meals.

Let’s use that 175 pound person as an example, once again.  For a 175 pound individual who is striving to lose weight, we are assuming that he/she wants to burn fat while maintaining his/her lean (muscle) mass. Again, we want to burn fat, not our lean mass (muscle).  To do this, they

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must consume a certain amount of protein each day (or consistently, and within a 24 hour period).  To find this number (in grams), defer to the following method:

(Body Weight) x (0.82) = Minimum amount of protein in grams for each 24 hour period  

Example:

(175 lbs) x (0.82) = 144 grams of protein each day (minimum for maintenance of lean mass while cutting weight/body fat)

For the maximum protein intake within each 24 hour period, defer to the following method:

(Body Weight) x (1.00) = Maximum amount of protein in grams for each 24 hour period

Example:

(175) x (1.00) = 175 grams of protein each day (maximum for maintenance of lean mass while cutting weight/body fat)

Therefore, for a 175 pound individual, each day his/her range for protein must be anywhere from 144-175 grams per day if he/she wants to maintain their own lean mass.  

As stated previously, it is important to understand that depending upon an individual's genetic makeup, he or she may, in fact, require a higher or lower protein diet based upon certain factors such as:

Blood type

Ancestry/Lineage

Habits and trends inculcated early on in their lives, etc.

To better convey what I mean by all of this, I will use myself as a quick example:

I am a 71 inch male (5 foot 11 inches) and my bone density is quite high.  My body sits naturally at 170-175 pounds and my extended family hails from Scotland and Wales.  My blood type is O+ (which we understand to be the universal donor).  Studies show that some of the first humanoids were actually type O blood-types and were hunter gatherers.  Therefore, given this fact coupled with my family lineage, consuming meats and higher protein foods as well as starchy carbohydrates (i.e. potatoes) are satiating to my body.  

The equations above still apply, however, what my particular circumstance means for me is that I can build a sort of range consisting of 150 grams of protein to even 190 grams per day and not feel as if I have over consumed my protein for that 24 hour period given my body’s genetic makeup.  Clear as mud?    

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To fully understand these factors and how they play into your personal fitness plan, it will require further digging as well as introspection on our own part.  However, as a starting point, the above information will more than suffice. As with anything in life, endeavor to learn more because there is rarely (if ever) any truly “correct” or right way to go about something. It’s a big, big world out there, and the overabundance of knowledge is power for us all that is ripe from the taking.

But what about fats and carbohydrates?  I’ll sat this… So long as you are hitting your protein macronutrient (macros) intake each and every day (while staying within your determined/calculated calorie budget), you will be fine.  Understand why proteins, fats, and carbs are important as well as what their overall function is, and this will better aid you in eating to not only obtain your fitness goals, but also simply to maintain your own energy, which will allow for you to become more efficient, and therefore, successful in reaching your fitness goals!

Breaking down Macronutrients

Proteins - Repair & MaintenanceProteins in food are broken down into pieces (called amino acids) that are then used to build new proteins with specific functions, such as catalyzing chemical reactions, facilitating communication between different cells, or transporting biological molecules from here to there. When there is a shortage of fats or carbohydrates, proteins can also yield energy.  Proteins are essential in the overall repairing and maintenance of lean muscle and tissue.  When your muscles are put under physical duress, this strain creates tears within the fibers of the muscle.  Protein consumption aids in the repairing of these damaged cells, promoting their growth so that the muscles can grow back stronger (and thus, slightly larger) than before.  To grow, more protein must be consumed over a consistent period of time and in conjunction with the amount of physical duress that your body is being put through.

Fats - Cognitive Function & RepairFats typically provide more than half of the body's energy needs. Fat from food is broken down into fatty acids, which can travel in the blood and be captured by hungry cells. Fatty acids that aren't needed right away are packaged in bundles called triglycerides and stored in fat cells, which have unlimited capacity. A diet that consists of the necessary percentage of fat intake (typically around 25-30% of one’s caloric intake in a 24 hour period) helps the body recover from physical strain as well as promotes cognitive function.  The human brain is primarily made up of fat and water, therefore, fat is an essential component in every human being’s diet. Be mindful, however; fat is notorious for being higher in calories than carbohydrates and proteins. To give a small example, approximately 1/4th of a cup of standard peanuts has the ability to be nearly 200 calories! The 25-30% of one’s diet that should be reserved for healthy fats must be used wisely, especially when considering that one’s calorie budget could be quite small, depending on their personal goals.

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Carbohydrates - Sources of EnergyCarbohydrates can only be stored in limited quantities, so the body is eager to use them for energy. The carbohydrates in food are digested into small pieces, (either glucose or a sugar that is easily converted to glucose) that can be absorbed through the small intestine's walls. After a quick stop in the liver, glucose enters the circulatory system, causing blood glucose levels to rise. The body's cells consume this glucose and help promote energy for our body. Once the cells have had their fill of glucose, the liver stores some of the excess for distribution between meals (should blood glucose levels fall below a certain threshold). If there is leftover glucose beyond what the liver can hold, it can be turned into fat for long-term storage so that none goes to waste. When carbohydrates are scarce, the body runs mainly on fats. If energy needs exceed those provided by fats in the diet, the body must liquidate some of its fat tissue for energy. To put it plainly, carbs are essentially energy. For those of us who love to indulge in alcoholic beverages from time to time, (being at Norwich, that’s usually almost everyone) understand that alcohol promotes weight gain because it’s easy to overindulge in drinking our calories; and given that alcohol is straight up carbs, taking in the excess calories can prove to be a sneaky way of adding inches to our wastes!

For that 175 pound individual looking to lose weight, he or she would need to abide by the following regimen each and every day (at least to start).

144-175 grams of protein

32-60 grams of fat

225-250 grams of carbohydrates

But hitting these numbers for someone in that particular position can prove quite difficult. So here is how we can make things a little bit easier for us to process and keep track of. So long as you are hitting your minimum intake requirements for proteins each day, while staying within your total calorie budget for that 24 hour period, your carbohydrate and fat intake requirements will fall into place automatically. How is this possible? Defer to the following graphic as it displays which factors are most important over others for losing weight:

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Again, so long as your protein macronutrient intake is fulfilled each and every day, your carbs and fats can vary so long as your caloric intake remains within your determined “budget”.

It is important to note that as we see results over time (losing or gaining weight; depending on what your goals are) we must constantly adjust our daily caloric intake, and by extension, our macronutrient intake as well. This is important because it is easy to plateau over time, which can impede our ability to achieve our desired preferences.

Flexible Dieting: If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM)Okay, so now I know how much I should be eating each day in order to achieve my fitness goals and I have calculated my macros, (macronutrients of carbs, fats, and proteins) so I just need to make sure that I cut out sweets and eat only the leanest proteins, the most nutrient dense vegetables, and the whole-est of grains for carbohydrates. Right??  WRONG!  

When it comes to dieting, our society has demonized “unhealthy” foods by proclaiming that we must muster up an insane amount of will power if we want to accomplish our nutrition and fitness goals.  “No desserts, no alcohol, and no comfort foods!”  If you possess the willpower to live this way, then go ahead; but know that the whole point of this guide is not to determine a way to reach your fitness and nutrition goals only to stop once you have obtained them.  The point of this guide is to educate you so that you are able to build a lifestyle that works best for YOU; that is how you create a routine that is not only efficient, but most importantly, sustainable in the long term, and therefore, effective by its very nature.  There is no quick solution or quick fix.  The only elements that are required in order to reach your fitness goals are time, persistence, consistency, accountability, patience, and discipline.  

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I will attempt to make this easy for you.  Hit your macros of proteins, fats, and carbs each day, and do not exceed your calorie budget.  Coupled with at least 5 days of short, intense workouts that can increase your fat burning capability, you’re going to look awesome, feel better, and most importantly perform better, trust me. Again, this is simply one way to go about it all. The point of his guide is to help guide you to a plan and lifestyle that works best for YOU.

A series of workouts in the form of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) will be made available to you alongside this diet and nutrition guide.  Perform one of these once a day, 5 days a week, and follow your diet to the “T”.  With time, this is how you will reach your fitness goals, guaranteed, all that it takes is 30 minutes, 5 days a week! As long as the dietary needs are met, all is well.

The 70-30 RuleA good rule of thumb to follow is the 70-30 rule. The 70-30 rule is my personal philosophy when it comes to diet and nutrition only because it works well for me. I love food, and I incorporate some deserts into my diet in a controlled quantity each day. Why? Because this is how I can enjoy the dieting structure that I have built for myself, and it is because of this genuine enjoyment that I am able to sustain my dietary regimen.  

Here is how the 70-30 principle works: Approximately 70% of your diet should consist of organic or “whole” food options.  These include lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains, etc.  The other 30% of your diet can consist of foods that you enjoy eating.  For example, do you have a craving and weakness for dark chocolate?  Rather than deprive your body of chocolate each day (or until your designated cheat day) allow yourself a serving of chocolate each and every day and be sure to factor this into your macronutrient and calorie budget.  In other words, have as much of an inclusive diet as opposed to an exclusive diet as you can.  This method will aid in your efforts to remain consistent over an extended period of time. In other words, work smarter, not harder.  Remember, when healthy foods dominate your diet (70% being much larger than 30% for you liberal arts majors) and you simply supply your body with what it needs to function (in other words, eating to maintain your own energy) then you will most certainly be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle, overall, because what you normally do is more important than what you may sometimes do.  This is the best way to build a sustainable plan that works best for YOU.  It is just up to you to figure out how exactly to do it.

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Intermittent Fasting (an optional resource)But how the hell do I consume just north or even south of 2,000 calories each day when I have such an enormous appetite?

I will be the first to admit, if you are anything like me then 2,000-2,200 calories just isn't enough, (especially if you are like myself and have a roaring appetite; seriously, I can throw down on some pizza and cookies).  Let’s face it, if folks like you and me could eat 10,000 calories a day, we most certainly would.  Then how the hell are we going to continue eating at our caloric deficit for an extended period of time in order to shed the weight that we want to?  There is no definitive answer, but there are tools and resources for folks like you and me that can allow for us to work around this obstacle.  My personal favorite being Intermittent Fasting.

Intermittent fasting is not a diet, but rather a dieting pattern.  In simpler terms, it’s making a conscious decision to skip certain meals. By fasting and then feasting on purpose, intermittent fasting means eating your calories during a specific window of the day, and choosing not to eat food during the rest.

Now, there are a few different ways to take advantage of intermittent fasting:

Regularly eat during a specific time period.  For example, only eating from noon-8 PM, (essentially skipping breakfast).  Some people only eat in a 6-hour window, or even a 4-hour window.  

Skip two meals one day, taking a full 24-hours off from eating.  For example, eating on a normal schedule (finishing dinner at 8PM) and then not eating again until 8PM the following day. (This is rough…)

Now, you might be thinking: okay, so by skipping a meal, I just eat less than normally overall, and thus I will lose weight, right? Well, that’s only partly true. Yes, by cutting out an entire meal, you are able to eat MORE food during your other meals and still consume a caloric deficit. However, as we already know that not all calories are created equal, the timing of meals can also influence how your body reacts.  With intermittent fasting, your body operates differently when feasting compared to when fasting, here is how:

When you eat a meal, your body spends a few hours processing that food, burning what it can from what you just consumed; and because it has all of this readily available, easy to burn energy in its blood stream (thanks to the food you ate), your body will choose to use that as energy rather than the fat you have stored.  This is especially true if you just consumed carbohydrates (or sugar, as your body prefers to burn sugar as energy before any other source).

During the fasted state, (the period where you don’t eat) your body doesn’t have a recently consumed meal to use as energy, so it is more likely to pull from the fat stored in your body, rather than the glucose in your blood stream or glycogen in your muscles/liver. Simply put, working out in a fasted state can increase your body’s fat burning capability, however, everyone is different and again, this guide is all about building a plan that works best for YOU. Not everyone is the same. I for one, hate to work out on an empty stomach, and while I still practice

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intermittent fasting as a dietary structure, I have custom-tailored my plans to work for ME, as I recommend that you do the same for yourself.

Scientifically speaking, however, without a ready supply of glucose and glycogen to pull from (which has been depleted over the course of your fasted state, and hasn’t yet been replenished with a pre-workout meal), your body is forced to adapt and pull from the only source of energy available to it: the fat stored in your cells!

So why does this work?  Our bodies react to energy consumption (eating food) with insulin production.  Essentially, the more sensitive your body is to insulin, the more likely you’ll be to use the food you consume efficiently, which can help lead to weight loss and muscle creation. Along with that, your body is most sensitive to insulin following a period of fasting. Your glycogen (a starch stored in your muscles and liver that your body can burn as fuel when necessary) is depleted during sleep (fasting), and will be depleted even further during your physical training session(s), which can further increase insulin sensitivity. This means that a meal immediately following your workout will be stored most efficiently: mostly as glycogen for muscle stores, burned as energy immediately to help with the recovery process, with minimal amounts stored as fat.

The less “science-y” version (for my liberal arts majors): Intermittent fasting can help teach your body to use the food it consumes more efficiently.  For many different physiological reasons, fasting can help promote weight loss and muscle building when done properly. Other benefits of intermittent fasting are an increase in alertness as well as cognitive sharpening. However, with most theories and even scientific research, much of the data regarding this specific information is largely inconclusive. Again, listen to your body, determine the right numbers to hit (calories and macronutrients) and plan your workouts strategically.

‘Tools’ for SuccessIf you’re wondering how best to keep track of your daily caloric intake as well as your overall macronutrient intake, you will be pleased to know that there are a plethora of electronic applications (phone apps) that are free of charge and available for download on your local app store or google play store. Some examples of the more popular applications are as follows:

MyFitnessPal by Underarmour

Arguably the most popular of these types of applications is underarmour’s variant known as MyFitnessPal. MyFitnessPal is a free smartphone app and website that tracks diet and exercise to determine optimal caloric intake and nutrients for the users' goals and uses gamification elements to motivate users. In a Consumer Reports diet rating, MyFitnessPal was rated the best

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free program (with 83 points) in overall satisfaction, "maintenance, calorie awareness, and food variety."

MyPlate by Livestrong

My personal favorite (and the therefore, the app that I personally opt for) is Livestrong’s rendition of a calorie and macronutrient calculator known as MyPlate. Like MyFitnessPal, MyPlate helps you to keep track of your calories and macronutrients via a self-logging system. I personally prefer MyPlate because, to me, it is a much simpler and less “tech-savvy” variant of a calorie and macronutrient calculator. For some of you, you might find the other options of these kinds of apps to be more enticing, however, for me, this app works just fine!

Mike’s Macros by Mike Vicanti

Fitness guru Mike Vicanti has developed a macronutrient calculator that is free of ads and is driven by a separate set of algorithms that claims to be more accurate than other apps such as MyFitnessPal and MyPlate, etc. Mike’s variant of the calculating system claims to focus on having an extremely accurate food database and for this reason, the team behind Mike’s Macros does not allow user-uploaded foods. The idea is that an individual doesn’t need to worry about any foods having incorrect macros. Mike’s team also understands the draw that people have to alcohol and allows for his app to account for those of us who want a drink or two from time to time, so the functionality to track your alcohol as well is a staple within Mike’s app (probably a good thing for us cadets).

But Wait!Before you rush to your cellular devices (surgically attached to you, no doubt) it is important to understand that each application, no matter if it be one of the above variants or another that peaks your interest, will have its own set of algorithms that will attempt to calculate your total caloric and macronutrient intake for you, and many of you will probably come to find that the numbers that these applications will produce for you are far different than what the above equations that I have supplied to you will generate.

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Here is my advice to you. Go with your gut and be willing to experiment. You won’t hurt my feelings if you decide to follow what an application tells you as opposed to what I have supplied for you. Remember, the most important thing is that you achieve your fitness goals by developing a regimen that works best for YOU. Just how that comes to fruition is of little interest to me so long as you are successful in your personal fitness and nutrition endeavors! As previously stated, a part of finding the right rhythm with all of this is getting to know your own body. Some of us have naturally higher metabolisms than others, and can therefore stand to eat a little more food. Others may have lower metabolisms and a higher need for proteins, carbs, or fats (depending on factors such as your blood-type, family’s lineage, etc.). It is alright to experiment, initially, so that you may better understand how to “crack the code” that is your own body by identifying what it needs to function both properly, as well as in the way that you wish for it to.

So don’t be afraid to play around with these applications and compare them to my own equations. There is no perfect system and I won’t claim that my way is ostensibly the “best” or “better” way; it is just one way. Also keep in mind that my equations only account for those of us who are 25% (for men) or 35% (for women) body fat or less. If you are someone who is over 25% body fat (for a man) or 35% body fat (for a woman), then by all means, utilize the numbers generated by the algorithms that power the wide array of fitness apps available to you, and endeavor to find the right values for yourself. Your personal success is all that matters to us at the end of the day!

Summing It All UpWe have always associated being “healthy” and losing weight with eating “healthy foods” and getting enough exercise. Our society constantly poses these questions to the nutrition “experts” all the time: what do I need to eat to be healthier? What must I eat to get skinny? Yadda-yadda-yadda, blah-blah-blah!

Who the hell decides which foods are healthy or unhealthy? Every single food is either healthy or unhealthy depending on your body, itself. Just because a stellar marketing department slaps words such as “healthy” or “nutritional” on the label of one of their company’s food products does not mean that eating that food will aid you in achieving your fitness goals and getting the body that you want/need in order to perform at the level that you are striving to reach. We have grown up in a society that has told us which foods are considered “healthy” and demonizes foods that are targeted as “unhealthy” because of their sugar content, lack of protein, or surplus of fat, etc.

Throughout this guide, we have identified that all that is needed to lose weight, gain weight, or simply maintain our weight is the proper amount of calories per day (within one 24 hour period) as well as the proper amount of macronutrient intake per day (the right amount of carbs, fats, and proteins in a 24 hour period). Our bodies are one large “science equation” in that each of our bodies’ requires a certain amount of calories and macronutrients to not only function properly, but also to achieve our desired fitness and nutrition goals. The hardest component to crack

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within this so-called “equation” is which numbers work best for each of us, personally; and even then this can all vary depending upon the goals that we have for ourselves.

To lose weight, we know that we need to eat at a calorie deficit, and by the same token, in order to gain weight, we must eat at a calorie surplus. If we are happy with how we are, then we need only determine the right amount of calories that allow for us to stay precisely where we are at so that we can maintain our current physique. We have learned that simply gaining weight, (the good kind being muscle, or lean mass, and the bad kind being pure fat) is dependent upon our consistent intake of the necessary amount of protein. To grow lean mass, we must consume the necessary amount of lean proteins, (again, dependent upon where we are starting at, and where we wish to end up).

We have identified a plethora of tools to aid us in not only calculating how much we must eat in order to help us achieve our goals, but we have also learned of methods that can help us to stick to our personalized plans so that they may remain sustainable in the long-term.

The body is burning calories 24/7.  The amount of calories burned simply by existing and functioning each day is what is referred to as our Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR).  As a part of getting lean, we can break it down into 3 primary areas:

1. Movement

2. Nutrition

3. Consistency

We cannot spot-reduce body fat. What this means is that no one can reduce body fat on specific portions of their body, rather, when we reduce body fat, we reduce the amount of fat we carry all over our bodies. At the end of the day, HOW we go about losing body fat is by burning more calories than we take in on a daily basis. This requires that we move our bodies so as to increase the amount of calories that we burn each day, as well as consistently eating at a caloric deficit during each 24 hour period. If we want to achieve the best results in the shortest amount of time, then high intensity exercises are vital in aiding us in our semi-rapid, fat loss endeavor. I say “semi-rapid” because the best results cannot come overnight, because the “magic formula” for success in fitness and overall nutrition is our ability to remain both patient and persistent. This is where consistency is king! If your diet and workout regimen isn’t enjoyable in the least bit, then it is automatically a less sustainable option for you to take. The best things in life come with time, work, and grit; therefore our ability to remain consistent will ultimately determine whether or not we will garner success for ourselves.

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SourcesRadu Antoniu: Think. Eat. Lift.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn4VW7py84Z5OiT_5oSbqZw

Daniel Witmer & Brandon Epstein: Zen Dude Fitness

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmYew1VwdbpHnSFG-CQ1A-A

Jeff Cavalier: ATHLEAN-X

https://www.youtube.com/user/JDCav24

Greg O’Ghallagher: Kinobody

https://www.youtube.com/user/gog9

Additional:https://www.freedieting.com/calorie_needs.html

https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/beginning-nutrition-the-facts-about-protein-carbs-fat.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MyFitnessPal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MyPlate

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

http://jamesclear.com/the-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting