NEWtrition: An Innovative Approach to Food Intake for Fitness

The primary fundamental of fitness and a crucial element of body fat loss, muscle growth, and sports performance is food intake. This is possibly the most important component because it comprises between 75% and 80% of your program success. But how do we eat to lose weight? The answer is that we must eat more times a day in order to lose body fat. What? Eat more? Yes, we need to eat four to six small and healthy meals a day in order to give our bodies the nutrients necessary for healthy organ function. When the body is satisfactorily receiving the proper amount of nutrients, then it will let go of body fat because it will no longer need to store as much body fat for energy.

We each have our own Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), also called your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). Basically stated, the RMR is nothing more than your daily caloric needs. The RMR is the least amount of calories needed daily to sustain basic bodily functions. It is based on weight. As you lose weight, your RMR will become lower because a person of smaller weight will not need as many nutrients as someone who is packing on more pounds.

A variable which can affect the RMR is a person's activity level. The more active and athletic a person is, the higher the RMR. Why? When a person is more athletic, more energy is expended, which means more nutrients will be needed for the body to efficiently perform and recover from each task. This is why Lance Armstrong ate well over 10,000 calories! He needed those calories due to all the cardio training he was enduring to prepare for the Tour De France.

When calories are compromised, the body goes into a state of Ketosis, where it eats its own muscle to get nutrients and energy. This is usually common in carbohydrate-deprived individuals or those not eating enough food to sustain the muscle tissue. This deprivation of nutrients then results in a lower metabolism, with a final result of gained body fat, the body's insurance that its nutrients won't be compromised again. Nutrients are essential for body fat loss as well as muscular hypertrophy or muscle gain.

To compute your RMR, take your weight and multiply by .45 to change it into kilograms. Then multiply weight in kilograms by 24. For example, a 170 pound person would compute the following equation to determine RMR:

1. 170 x .45 = 76.5 (weight in

kilograms)

2. 76.5 x 24 = 1836 calories a day

This means that a 170-pound person that does not exercise will need 1836 calories per day to sustain normal bodily functions. But wait....there's more. If you are heavily active, multiply RMR by 50%. If moderately active, multiply RMR by 40%. For lightly active, multiply RMR by 30%. This is to compensate for the calories expended during physical activity. Remember Lance Armstrong?

There are other RMR equations both more complex and simpler but the above equation is similar to the Harris-Benedict equation, made popular in the early 1900s and still used today. In 1990, St. Jeor and M.D. Miffin also created a formula to calculate RMR which is also used today but this equation is much more complex, although 5% more accurate than the Harris-Benedict formula.

P = (9.99/1kg +6.25h/1cm - 4.92a/1year + s) kcal/day

In this equation, s is +5 for males and −161 for females (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1990). As you can see, this is a complex equation.

Now that you can compute your RMR, it will become easier to determine how many calories you need to lose body fat. Here is the kicker. Of the 1836 calories for the 170-pound person, as calculated using the simpler equation, 55% of those calories need to be from clean carbohydrates, 15-25% from protein, and 15-30% from fat. To calculate, take 1836 calories and multiply by .55 which equals 1009 calories that need to come from carbohydrates. Do the same to calculate calories needed from protein sources and from healthy fats. Break the calories down into 4 to 6 small meals a day.

Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats are the three essential macronutrients that the human body needs in large quantities to function effectively. Each nutrient comes with a host of benefits and is designed to work in conjunction with the other nutrients. A compromise of any one nutrient and the body will just go through the motions, without the full benefits of a healthy, active body.

Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy, especially during a hard workout. Carbohydrates are four calories per gram and, in its natural state, are actually high in fiber. There are both simple and complex carbohydrates. Examples of simple carbs or simple sugars include lactose (milk) or table sugar. Complex carbohydrates are starches and fiber. Bean, peas, bread, pastas, and grains are among the list of complex carbs. Stick to whole grain, multigrain pastas and breads, and sweet potatoes for healthy carbohydrates.

Protein has four calories per gram and contains amino acids, which are the building blocks for muscle tissue. Proteins help the body repair and maintain its cells and is a necessary nutrient for blood, cells, nails, muscles, to name a few. Examples of proteins are meats such as steak, turkey, chicken, and fish. Eggs are a great source of protein as well. It is preferable to get protein from food sources first, before resorting to powders and liquids.

Fats are the third macronutrient needed for the body daily. Many people would be shocked to know that healthy fats are essential for a healthy body. Fats aids in satiety, which is the brain's message to the body that it is nutrient satisfied. Fats take longer for the body to digest and help hair, nails, and skin look radiant.

Eating four to six small, healthy meals daily with the right amount of macronutrients will ensure a healthy, energetic body that glows. Use your nutrition in conjunction with an exercise regime and the body fat will melt off.