NUTRITION
101
Nutrition
Getting your nutrition
Goals dialed in is just as
important as moving
heavy ass weight in the
gym. However, it's much
easier said than done. With
this cheat-sheet, you won't
have to worry about
second guessing your
nutrition ever again.
What is a Calorie?
The most fundamental unit of energy that we use
with regard to food/drink and energy
expenditure is a Calorie, or, a kilocalorie (kcal).
It is the amount of energy needed to raise the
temperature of 1kg of water by 1 degree Celsius.
Caloric needs vary from individual to individual
based on a variety of factors that range from age,
sex, weight, height, activity level and so on.
Calories are accumulated
from 3 main
macronutrients,
PROTEINS CARBOHYDRATES FATS
Energy provision in the Hormone Regulation
Tissue Repair/Building
form of glucose Organ Insulation
Broken down into amino Broken down into glucose Broken down into fatty
acids and stored as glycogen acids/glycerol
4 calories/gram 4 calories/gram 9 calories/gram
Meat, Eggs, Dairy Grains, Fruits Nuts, Seeds, Oils
ENERGY
EXPENDITURE
Now that we have a basic
understanding of how we
consume energy through various
sources, let’s look further into
the different ways we expend the
energy we consume.
BASAL NON EXERCISE
METABOLIC ACTIVITY
RATE THERMOGENESIS
The amount of energy that you expend
from everyday movement that ISN’T
the base amount of energy that is planned exercise. This can include
required by your body to just stay alive. scrolling through your phone, fidgeting,
Here, energy is expended through walking to the kitchen to check the fridge
different bodily functions that range from every 5 minutes, taking a shower and so
cell maintenance, blood circulation and on. An individual's NEAT is dependant on
breathing. BMR always varies from various lifestyle factors. For example, a
person to person based on a number of mailman who walks around delivering
different factors unique to that individual parcels all day will have a significantly
like their age, sex, weight etc. higher NEAT as compared to someone who
The good news is, you will burn calories works a sedentary desk job.
equivalent to your BMR even from just It accounts for roughly 20% of the energy
rotting in bed all day and it accounts for you expend in a day
roughly 60% of the energy you expend in a
day.
EXERCISE THERMIC
ACTIVITY EFFECT OF
THERMOGENEIS FOOD
the amount of energy you expend
the energy that your body uses to
from intentionally planned and
digest, absorb and metabolise the
structured exercise. This includes
your daily workout at the gym,
food you consume. You burn
planned cardio and any other sport about 10% of the calories you
or physical activity you enjoy consume from TEF and it accounts
partaking in. for roughly 5-10% of the total
The energy that accounts for EAT energy you expend in a day
varies from the intensity and
duration of the specific activity you
are taking part in and it makes up
for roughly 10% of your daily calorie
expenditure
TOTAL DAILY Now that we have
categorised all the
ENERGY different ways in which
our body expends energy,
EXPENDITURE we can better understand
what TOTAL DAILY ENERGY
EXPENDITURE (TDEE) is.
TDEE is the overall energy
that your body expends in
a day and is simply
calculated by
TDEE = BMR + NEAT + EAT + TEF
“How do I effectively
calculate my TDEE?”
Now unfortunately, there is no direct way to accurately gauge one’s TDEE
but there are ways in which you can find an estimate.
The most common way to find a general layout of what your TDEE looks like
is to look up a TDEE calculator online and enter your details on the given
prompts and you will get a rough estimate of what your TDEE must be.
Use the link below for quick access to an online TDEE calculator.
https://tdeecalculator.net/
This is currently the most reliable and efficient
way to get an understanding of your TDEE.
Firstly, we calculate your BMR using
Cunningham’s equation as it is more accurate as
TWO compared to other standard energy expenditure
calculations.
WEEK The formula to calculate your BMR is,
BMR = 22 x Lean Body Mass (Kg) + 500
TRIAL- Now the question on your mind must be “Okay,
AND- but how do I figure out my LBM?”
This is relatively simple, all you're going to have
ERROR to do is figure out your total body mass and a
general idea of what your body fat percentage is
METHOD
currently at.
For example, if someone weighs 80kg and
estimates themselves to be at 25% body fat, this
implies their fat mass is 20kg and puts their lean
body mass at 60kg.
Physical Now once you've figured
Activity out your BMR using
Cunningham’s equation,
Factor multiply it with the
Physical Activity Factor
that applies to you
specifically using the
Little to no
1.2 Sedentary
exercise given chart.
Light Exercise 1-3x
1.375 Lightly Active
a week
Moderate Exercise
TDEE = BMR x PAF
1.55 Moderately Active
3-5x a wwek
Hard Exercise 6-7x
1.725 Very Active
a week
Hard Daily
1.9 Extremely Active
Exercise
Now that you have a rough
estimate of what your TDEE looks
like, eat calories equivalent to
your TDEE, i.e at maintenance,
for two weeks and track your
weight fasted in the morning
EVERY day. Find the average of
your weight in the first week and
the second week and if they are
roughly similar, then you have a
fairly accurate idea of what your
TDEE looks like.
Allocate your macronutrient needs in a way such that
you consume
- 1.5-2g of protein per kilogram of body weight
- 0.8-1g of fats per kilogram of body weight
- Remaining calories towards carbohydrates
As for how many total calories to consume once you
have found your TDEE comes down to your personal
goals and needs.
If you are trying to lose fat, eat at a deficit of <500
kcals from your TDEE while ensuring your protein
and fat goals are met to ensure tissue repair and
hormone regulation.
If you are trying to build mass, eat relatively close to
your TDEE and at a slight surplus of <100 kcals while
meeting all your macronutrient needs.
If you are skinny fat and want to recompose your
body, eat at a slight deficit of <200 kcals while
prioritising protein intake.
With this, you just gained all the knowledge you need to
know, and more, with regard to nutrition.
Refer to the Diet Guideline for assistance on how to use
the information you just accumulated to structure a diet
of your own.
