In the world of weight loss, unlike most traditional low-carb or low-fat diets, the Flexible Dieting aims to achieve your weight loss goal by limiting the number of grams of protein, carbohydrates and fats to be eaten per day, making fat loss possible. Without having to count calories, or deprive yourself of your favorite foods.
Meaning you can eat anything you want to “If It Fits Your Macros” (IIFYM) , which is the unit of measure for your intake of the three major nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats). Read also 21 mistakes not to make if you want to lose weight How to trick your body with a smart trick to lose weight? To break down fat and feel energetic.. the hidden benefits of tea in losing weight Keto or Mediterranean diet.. Which diets are effective in losing weight?
According to this system, which many nutrition experts consider more accurate and better than calculating calories, if you stick to your daily goals of macros, you will automatically consume fewer calories, and this will help you lose weight.
Macros and how to calculate them
Macros are the grams of protein, carbohydrates or fats you eat daily, which can help you make smart and healthy food choices, and are calculated in 3 steps, as follows:
1. Knowing the calories you eat and burn daily, through a service provided by the National Institute of Health (NIH) , or through applications available on the Internet, such as the “My Fitness Pal” application.
2. After knowing the calories you eat and burn each day, the calories you must consume per day to achieve your weight loss goal are determined, “so that the calories you consume are 10-15% less than those you burn,” says Dr. Brad Schoolfellow, Director of the Performance Lab. at New York Lehman College, for ” ” Humans Mens Health website .
3. Determining the proportions of the distribution of calories needed per day, on each of the fats, carbohydrates and protein.
There are no perfect proportions
There are no ideal proportions for the number of macros to be eaten. Calculating macros depends on height, weight, gender, age, goal and activity level, for example:
If your daily calorie goal is 2,000: you’ll need 200 grams of carbohydrates to give you 800, 200 grams of protein to give you 800 too (each gram of carbs or protein gives you 4), and 44 grams of fat to give you 400 calories (each A gram of fat gives you 9 calories.
In other words, if you eat 125 grams of protein, you’ll use up 500 calories, and you’ll have 1,500 left to split between fats and carbohydrates.
According to Dr. Schoenefeld, “there is no ideal ratio because the results differ from one person to another, there are those who lose weight by cutting carbohydrates, and those who achieve the goal by reducing fat,” but the important thing is the amount of protein you eat, “protein is the most important thing to maximize muscle and improve body composition. So some holistic or flexible diet experts, such as Gordon Bagel fitness consultant , recommend eating 1 gram of protein per pound (454 grams) of body weight.
To further clarify, Dr. Stella Volpe, chair of nutrition sciences at Drexel University in Philadelphia, explains to the same site, “If you are an athlete, for example, your diet should be more inclined towards carbohydrates that provide you with energy during exercise, but if you are constantly feeling hungry, the better Focus on healthy fats.
Macros and weight loss
Some nutritionists recommend a flexible diet because it does not restrict foods and provides more wiggle room. “I think focusing on the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats, with some freedom for sweets or sweet treats sometimes, is a good diet,” says Dr. Volpi.
But Dr. Schoenefeld stresses the importance of being careful about food quality, on the grounds that a flexible diet doesn’t mean eating what you want at all. “Food quality still matters, and vegetables that are packed with antioxidants and disease-fighting fiber can’t be equated with chips or crackers.”
5 benefits of a flexible diet
Macros calculating system can provide many benefits, they are:
- It works for everyone, even those on low-carb, high-fat, vegan or gluten-free diets. And while a strict diet can be challenging, especially when you’re on the go, by planning your meals according to your lifestyle, you don’t feel stressed. There are also no forbidden foods, as long as they fit in with your macros, and this may reduce guilt feelings for those who follow a strict diet, according to Healthline .
- Focuses on nutrition more than weight because healthy eating is more important than counting calories, says Claire Briller registered dietitian , a in Montana. “.
- It improves athletic performance. Also, according to Claire, “This regimen may help you achieve your fitness goals by getting enough protein and carbohydrates, rather than focusing on calories alone.”
- It’s the method I’ve used myself to lose over 80 pounds of fat, and gain over 20 pounds of muscle,” says Gordon Bagel.
- It establishes healthy, long-term habits, and “may help you develop a healthy relationship with food by making some adjustments to what you eat,” according to trainer Scott Babtti .