Determine your diet goal

Some health food gurus say that the best sources of protein are tuna and egg whites. Others prefer skinless chicken breast. Most athletes limit themselves to carbohydrates, while a number of effective diets suggest “loading up” with them.

Such a variety of often contradictory nutritional advice indicates one thing: the same diet cannot be equally suitable for everyone without exception.

Judge for yourself: can a marathon runner and a weightlifter eat the same? It is well known that the choice of nutrition directly depends, firstly, on the goal set, and secondly, on the characteristics of the body. We invite you to develop your own diet based on these two main factors. Do you want to build muscle or burn fat, or maybe both? We know how to help you. The secret is simple – develop your own individual nutrition plan. Follow our recommendations step by step and you will get the figure you have always dreamed of.

1) DETERMINE YOUR METABOLISM Your physique directly depends on your metabolism (metabolic rate). Whether you are plump as a bun or thin as a reed is determined solely by your metabolism. Thus, before using one or another approach to dieting, determine your body type.

• To see at least some result, you have to work long and hard in the gym. But the hard-earned muscles look perfect: they are sculpted and clearly visible. You have a fast metabolism. You are an ectomorph.
• Do you easily gain weight, not only muscle, but also fat? And in order to dry out, do you torture yourself with the strictest diets, do laps at the stadium, pedal an exercise bike for hours, or jump rope? You have a slow metabolism. You are an endomorph.
• To build muscle or burn fat, you, of course, need to work. But, in general, you don’t need killer, tough, exhausting training. After all, without even really straining, you can easily change your body to the envy of your “friends” in the gym. What a score. Your metabolism is normal: neither fast nor slow. You are a mesomorph.

2) SET A SPECIFIC GOAL Clearly decide what you want: gain muscle mass or burn fat. Imagine exactly how you want to see yourself in the future. Huge and powerful? Or slim and fit?

If your immediate and long-term goals coincide (for example, you want to build muscle both now and in the future, or, conversely, fight fat deposits both in the near future and in the future), then simply develop a diet according to our recommendations and sit on it as long as you can.

But if you are trying to achieve several goals at once – gain weight and burn fat, then do not try to work on these two goals at the same time. Divide them over time and alternate: first work on mass, then burn fat, then again on mass, etc. And build a nutrition plan in accordance with these periods. For example, in bodybuilding the following is practiced: first of all, they build up mass and do not pay attention to fat, which is then removed through diet and cardio.

3) SENSITIVITY TO CARBOHYDRATES Carbohydrates are the main type of fuel that is used to generate the energy necessary for the functioning of the body.

However, the need for carbohydrates is individual for each person. You’ve probably noticed more than once how after a hearty lunch you feel full and satisfied, laziness sets in and you want to take a little nap. It’s all due to an excess of carbohydrates. However, a low-carb diet is also not to be joked about. For some it may be a good solution, but for others it may not.

If you feel exhausted after cutting back on carbohydrates, stop beating yourself up. You lack energy.

To determine how your body processes carbohydrates, answer the following questions: How do you feel after eating a large serving of pasta (a source of carbohydrates)? What about after a serving of meat and vegetables (a source of protein) of the same size?

•  The meat and vegetables went off with a bang, you are full of energy and ready for exploits. However, after your favorite spaghetti, you become lethargic and sleepy. This means you have poor sensitivity to carbohydrates.
• If you have eaten a good chop without a side dish, but are left with a feeling of dissatisfaction and hunger, and your imagination pictures a dish with steaming noodles, then your body is asking for carbohydrates, that is, you have a normal sensitivity to carbohydrates.

A) DAILY NEED FOR MACROELEMENTS You have determined your body type and know your need for carbohydrates, let’s move on to the next step towards your goal.

At this stage, based on the data obtained, calculate from the table your daily requirement for macroelements (proteins, carbohydrates and fats) in servings.

DAILY MACRO ELEMENT ALLOWANCES

Based on your goals, body type, and carbohydrate tolerance, determine how many servings of each macronutrient (protein, carbohydrate, and fat) you should consume per day.

If you fall into two categories at once, then calculate the arithmetic average. For example, you want to lose weight and you are an ectomorph. But you can’t say with certainty what your sensitivity to carbohydrates is. According to the table, in both cases the total number of daily servings of macroelements and protein is the same. The only difference is in the portions of carbohydrates and fats. We count. Carbohydrates: (3.5 + 4.5)/2 = 4 servings; fats: (2+ 1)/2 = 1.5 servings.

5) CREATE A DIET Keep in mind that the serving size of each product in the “Foods” table is calculated based on the calorie content of the product, and not on the amount of macroelements it contains (proteins, carbohydrates, fats). In the presented products, the main source of calories, as a rule, is only one macronutrient, therefore one serving of such a product determines one serving of the macronutrient, the source of which is this product (see the table “Daily Value of Macronutrients”).

But there are exceptions. Some foods, such as a whole egg or salmon, appear as sources of several macronutrients (most often protein and fat). This is explained by the fact that these products have not one, but two macronutrients, which are the main sources of calories. In this case, one serving of such a product counts as half a serving of one macronutrient and half a serving of another macronutrient. For example, one serving of salmon is 0.5 servings of protein and 0.5 servings of fat.

You can vary portion sizes throughout the day, but by the end of the day, the total number of macronutrient servings consumed should meet your daily requirement.

Of course, you can diversify your range of products. The size of one serving of a product is determined by its calorie content based on the formula: 2 kcal multiplied by your weight in kg.

For example, your weight is 75 kg, then the calorie content of one serving of a macronutrient should be 150 kcal. And if you tasted a turkey steak (a source of protein), containing 300 kcal, then you ate 2 servings of protein.

PROTEIN SOURCES PRODUCTS

The size of one serving of the product depends on your weight and will be determined by one serving of protein in the “Daily Value of Macronutrients” table. For example, if you weigh 75 kg, then one serving of protein is 85 g of chicken breast or 2.5 eggs.

FOODS SOURCES OF HEALTHY FATS

The size of one serving of a product depends on your weight and determines one serving of carbohydrates in the “Daily Value of Macronutrients” table. For example, if you weigh 75 kg, then one serving of healthy fats is 4.5 g of olive oil or 21 olives.

FOODS SOURCES OF CARBOHYDRATES

The size of one serving of a product depends on your weight and determines one serving of carbohydrates in the “Daily Value of Macronutrients” table. For example, if you weigh 75 kg, then one serving of carbohydrates is 175 g of rice and 40 g of sugar.

Sample nutrition plan
Let’s say your weight is 100 kg, you are an ectomorph (you have a fast metabolism) and you have poor sensitivity to carbohydrates. You have decided to get lean (burn fat). Your daily macronutrient intake is as follows:

Total servings – 13
Protein – 7.5
Carbohydrates – 3.5
Fat – 2

Based on these data, your meal plan would look something like this: