Weight loss and muscle building have gained significant popularity across the divide, mainly because of the rising cases of lifestyle diseases that account for millions of deaths annually. A recent and most popular trend in weight loss is relying on macronutrients and micronutrients. The macronutrients include fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. On the other hand, micronutrients include vitamins and minerals. Today, we will provide an insight into the best macronutrient ratio for effective weight loss. Remember the quality of the diet you eat matters a lot when it comes to stripping off that extra pound.
Calorie Intake is Critical to Your Fat Loss
When you are trying to lose extra fat, the kind of diet you eat matters more than the number of carbohydrates, fat, and proteins in your diet. In a study involving 600 overweight people randomly selected, the researcher wished to determine whether a low-fat or a low-carb diet was effective in cutting fat. At the start of the trial period, the lo-fat group took 20gms of fat every day, whereas the low-carb group consumed 20gms of carbs. After two months, both groups lost a considerable amount of fat with the low-carb intake group lost 13.2 pounds of body weight, which was 1.5 pounds higher than the low-fat group. In a different study, 645 overweight people were subjected to a diet featuring different proportions of fat, carbs, and proteins. The study revealed that both groups recorded success in terms of weight loss after two years. From the above studies – reduced calorie intake can lead to a considerable loss of weight in the long-run.
Calories, aka KCALs, are a measure of the amount of energy contained in a given type of food or drink. Regardless of the source, calories are the same. However, the kind of food from which we obtain the calories is critical since the body mechanism works differently with each source of energy. Therefore, the composition of macronutrients can influence how frequently you may feel like eating. Also, it affects your metabolic rate, hormonal activity, as well as brain activity.
What this means is that while 50 calories of broccoli and 50 calories of nuts carry the same amount of joules, the effect of each on your body is different. For example, approximately 350gms of broccoli contain 100 calories with about 8gms of fiber. On the other hand, one-half of a glazed doughnut will deliver the same amount of calories. It means consuming these amounts of broccoli in a go will leave you feeling fuller for longer than when you take one-half of a doughnut. The latter means you will need to eat more or many times a day, in which you will end up pumping more calories into your body.
The Importance of Diet Quality
For you to lose the right amount of weight, you need to ensure a calorie deficit by consuming fewer calories compared to the number of calories you burn. It will mean your body will have to utilize the stored body fats to generate energy your protein and fat content in your food notwithstanding. By achieving a calorie deficit, you ensure an effective loss of fats while providing a lean muscle mass.
Here is a List of Foods and Macronutrients to Focus on Along with Some to Limit.
Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods
Nutrient-dense foods have a high amount of macronutrient level with low-calorie level. Nutrient-dense foods come with more fiber, lean proteins, and other macronutrients. Some of the best foods include beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats.
Consume High-Protein Foods
Proteins are known to cause a feeling of fullness, reduces muscle loss, and features a high thermic effect. It has the effect of a higher calorie level when compared to carbohydrates or fats. Nutritionists recommend taking animal-based protein sources, including poultry, eggs, meat, and dairy. On the other hand, protein shakes are also a great source of protein.
Avoid High-Fat and High-Carb Foods
Just as some specific foods are known to be effective in weight loss, other types can slow your weight loss journey. As you may already be aware, foods containing both fats and carbs are effective in stimulating brain activity. At the same time, they increase a feeling of hunger, causing more weight. Experts say that cookies, potato chips, and pizza among other types of snacks have featured these calorie-additives. When taken independently, carbohydrates and fats do not have these addictive qualities. In summary, you need to consume foods that are rich in nutrients and proteins but reduce the number of foods that have a combination of fats and carbs.
A Macronutrient Ratio to Help You Cut Weight
As earlier hinted, the macronutrient composition of your diet has a mild influence on fat loss but can affect your ability to maintain a low-calorie diet. The reason why many diets fail is the difficulty of people to stick to a given food. Increasing your chance of making it in a reduced-calorie diet will depend on your ability to consume the right ratio of your macronutrients. Remember that diets that focus more on macronutrients such as proteins and low intakes of another such as carbs are not meant for everyone. For example, people struggling with diabetes type 2 are just fine working with a diet of low sugars and low carbs than when subjected to a high carbohydrate diet. On the other hand, it will feel less hungry when on a high fat, low-carbohydrate diet, being an easy-to-follow diet than low-fat, high carbohydrates.
The Bottom Line
The best macronutrient distribution should range from 45–65% of your daily calorie-intake with carbs contributing 20–35% and fats while10–35% should come from protein. For effective weight loss, find and stick with foods that will cause you to burn more calories than you take.