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If I asked random people around the gym to explain what calories are, the importance of protein, how different carbs are processed or how fat affects body function, around 80% of them wouldn’t have a clue. In your case, however, after reading this page, you’ll be an expert on calories, protein, carbs, fat, and fibre.
You’ll know exactly what calories and macros are, their function, how they are processed and where they are stored in your body.
Calories
What is a Calorie?
The best way to begin is with the definition of a calorie:
“One Calorie (kilocalorie) = The amount of heat required to raise 1 kilogram (1 liter) of water 1 degree Centigrade”
A calorie is simply a measure of energy. When food is metabolised, it releases energy. The more calories that are in the food, the more energy will be released when it’s burned. The word “calorie” is used interchangeably to describe the amount of energy in food and energy stored in the body as body fat and glycogen (stored carbohydrate).
Example – A Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut contains about 210 calories (and a 25-minute jog on the treadmill burns off about 210 calories).
Body fat is like your reserve storage tank for energy. When we talk about “burning off body fat” we are actually talking about releasing calories from your “storage tank” and burning them to fuel your activities. If you’re inactive, the body fat just sits there in storage until you need it. If you’re an average 185-pound man with about 18% body fat, you have 33.3 pounds of adipose tissue. There are 3500 calories in each pound of body fat, which adds up to a grand total of 116,550 calories of reserve energy in storage – enough to last you a long time!
Your energy reserves served an important evolutionary purpose, but only very small amounts of body fat are essential for health. In our modern society where famine is no longer the concern it was for our ancestors, body fat is today little more than an annoying cosmetic problem (and a possible health risk).
Thanks to tens of thousands of years of evolution, you’ve developed a body that is an incredibly efficient fat-storing machine. That’s the bad news. The good news is, by understanding calories and balancing your input with your output, you can easily lose fat or maintain a healthy and attractive body fat ratio.
This is the law of energy balance; the first fundamental you must understand and obey if you want to get lean.
The law of energy balance says, if you burn more calories than you consume, then your body must tap into stored energy (fat / muscle) to make up for the calorie deficit and you will lose weight.
The reverse is also true: If you consume more calories than you burn each day, you will store the surplus and gain weight.
“To LOSE weight, you must consume FEWER calories than you burn each day.”
“To GAIN weight, you must consume MORE calories than you burn each day.”
“Too much of ANYTHING will get stored as fat – even healthy food.”
Too much of any food – even so-called “healthy” foods – will get stored as body fat. If you consume more calories than you burn, (you’re in a calorie surplus), it doesn’t matter what you eat; you will gain weight, usually in the form of body fat. If the calorie surplus is beyond what you need for muscle growth, then all extra calories will be converted into body fat.
“Small amounts of ANYTHING (even junk food) will probably NOT get stored as fat if you are eating fewer calories than you burn up.”
If you are eating fewer calories than you are burning each day (you’re in a calorie deficit), then even if you eat “junk food,” you won’t store it as body fat. This should not be interpreted as a recommendation or a free license to eat anything you want in small quantities because you can “get away with it.” Obviously calorie quality is also important. The good news however is that this point takes some of the pressure off you and allows you to relax your diet and enjoy “naughty” foods from time to time without guilt, as long as you do it in moderation. In other words, you can have your cake and eat it too, but you can’t eat the whole thing! This fits well with the 90/10 rule that I discuss with you in Option 1 of the nutrition section.
Fat Storage = Health Debt
A good analogy is to think of your body fat like a health debt that needs to be managed in your calorie finances. You want to pay off your body fat debt and become debt free like becoming free of excess body fat.
But like a house mortgage, you can’t expect to pay it off all in one go. It requires time, regualar payments, week after week until the balance is paid and you have earned freedom from excess body fat.
If you pay off your body fat mortgage too aggressively, (starvation style dieting), then you won’t have enough calories left to cover essential nutritents, and your performance day to day will suffer. It’s wiser to conservatively make regular payments that you can tollerate, while still living a relatively normal life.
For example, say the amount of calories you typically burn each day is 2500 calories. This is your daily calorie budget to spend (on eating food).
First, you budget 20% of your budget to pay your body fat mortgage (500 calories). This puts you into the required calorie deficit for fat loss, leaving you 2000 calories left to spend for the day.
Next you allocate calories for your essential calorie expenses. 80% of your calories (1600 calories in this example) should be spent on essential protein, vegetables, fruit and healthy fats.
The remaining 20% of calories (400 in our example) can be left over for fun such as treat foods, alcohol and other tasty items.
The calorie density of a food is the amount of energy, or calories, provided by a certain weight of that food. Calorie density is typically stated as calories per gram. Low-calorie density foods mean fewer calories for a relatively large amount of food, while high calorie-dense foods contain a lot of calories for a relatively small amount of food.
Low-calorie density foods will encourage you to eat less calories and lose weight.
High-calorie density foods will encourage you to eat more calories and gain weight.
What affects calorie density?
Foods generally higher in water and fiber content, and lower in fat will be a lower calorie density. Higher calorie-dense foods are usually drier and higher in fat.
100 g cucumber = 15 calories.
100 g macadamia nuts = 716 calories!
Protein – (4 calories per gram).
- Most filling and satisfying of the macronutrients.
- Lean proteins (low fat) have lower calorie densities.
- Dry proteins (jerky and hot dogs) have higher calorie densities.
Carbohydrates – (4 calories per gram).
- Higher fibre and water containing carbs have lower calorie densities.
- Dehydrated or refined carbs (dried fruit, juices) have higher calorie densities.
Fats – (9 calories per gram).
- Oils and nuts are very calorie dense and not very filling.
- Avocado and coconut milk contains healthy fats.
It’s useful to know the average person’s calorie requirements. The image above shows a 2500 calorie food intake.
Breakfast: 4 whole eggs (scrambled), 1 slice cheddar cheese, 2 slices whole-wheat toast, 1/4 cup sliced avocado. = 595 calories.
Snack 1: 1 scoop whey protein, 1/3 cup raw almonds = 337.4 calories.
Lunch: 5 oz. 95/5 ground beef, 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1 cup shredded lettuce, 2-3 tbsp fresh tomato salsa, 1/4 cup shredded cheddar, 1 tbsp sour cream = 591 calories.
Snack 2: 2 tbsp all-natural peanut butter, 1 medium apple, 1 container low fat Greek yogurt = 395 calories.
Dinner: 6 oz. Atlantic salmon, 1 cup green beans, 2 pat butter.
According to exercise physiologists William McArdle and Frank Katch, the average maintenance level for women is 2000-2100 calories per day and the average for men is 2700-2900 per day.
These numbers are only averages, of course. Actual calorie expenditures can vary widely and are much higher for athletes or extremely active people. Some triathletes and ultra-endurance athletes may require as many as 5000-6000 calories per day or more just to maintain their weight! Endurance cyclists often slog down energy bars and high calorie carbohydrate drinks on the saddle, just to keep from losing weight by the hour! Calorie requirements can also vary among people with the same activity levels because of differences in inherited metabolic rates.
Typical calorie averages for men and women:
- Maintaining weight: Men (average): 2700-2900 / Women (average): 2000-2100
- Losing weight: Men (average): 2200-2700 / Women (average): 1400-1800
- Gaining weight: Men (average): 3200-4000+ / Women (average): 2200-2500+
“Eat as much you want and still lose weight?” = SCAM!
Keeping track of calories (using portion sizes or counting calories) is just as important as keeping track of the deposits and withdrawals to your bank account. If you fail to pay attention to your finances and you make more withdrawals than deposits, you would soon find yourself broke and in debt. It’s the same with your body, although in the case of calories, the reverse is true: If you don’t keep track of your calorie deposits, you’ll soon find yourself with an overstuffed calorie account in the form of unsightly and unwanted body fat!
Despite the obvious importance of watching your caloric intake, many diet programs insist calories don’t matter as long as you eat the right “secret combinations” of foods.
For example, in 1961, a book called “Calories Don’t Count” was published by Dr. Herman Taller. The program was one of the first to promote high protein, very low carbohydrate diets (VLCDs). Others followed, the most popular of which was “Dr. Robert Atkin’s New Diet Revolution.”
The common denominator in most of these VLCDs is the claim that by removing most or all of the carbohydrates, you can eat an unlimited amount of calories from everything else (protein and fat). This is where the phrase “calories don’t count” originally came from and that’s why you hear about this idea so often. Unfortunately, the concepts of eating unlimited anything or of calories “not counting” are dead wrong!
According to the “calories-don’t-count” theory, if you eat certain foods, or certain combinations of foods, you can eat as much as you want and you’ll still lose weight. In our lazy and pleasure-seeking society today, this idea sounds wonderful, but this is physiologically impossible. The reason you lose weight on VLCDs without setting calorie limits or requiring calorie counting is because they tend to reduce appetite and cravings.
VLCDs allow you to eat more fat, which makes you feel full sooner. You also tend to get fewer cravings because eating fat and protein in the absence of carbohydrates levels out your blood sugar and insulin levels. The end result is you automatically eat fewer calories. The weight loss experienced on these programs comes from a calorie deficit, not from any “magical” effect of the diet itself. If you were to follow a VLCD, but you consumed more calories than you burned up in a day, you would still gain body fat. The often-made claim, “Eat all you want and still lose weight,” is one of the biggest and most common lies told in the weight loss industry.
Your metabolism is the amount of calories you require each day to live. Your daily calorie requirements depend on six major factors. A lot of it comes down to your daily lifestyle, activity and food intake.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
BMR is the total number of calories your body burns for normal bodily functions, including digestion, circulation, respiration, temperature regulation, cell construction, and every other metabolic process in your body. In other words, your BMR is the sum total of all the energy used for basic bodily functions, not including physical activity. BMR usually accounts for the largest amount of your daily calorie expenditure – about two thirds. BMR is at its lowest when you’re sleeping and you’re not digesting anything. BMR can vary dramatically from person to person depending on genetic factors. You probably know someone who can eat anything they want yet they never gain an ounce of fat. This type of “fast metabolism” person has inherited a naturally high BMR.
Activity Level
Next to BMR, your activity level is the second most important factor in how many calories you need every day. The more active you are, the more calories you burn; it’s that simple. Become more active and you burn more calories. Sit on the couch all day long and you hardly burn any.
Weight
Your total body weight and total body size are also major factors in the number of calories you require. The bigger you are, the more calories you’ll require to move your body.
Lean Body Mass – LBM (Muscle)
Separating your total weight into its lean and fat components allows you to calculate your calorie needs even more accurately. The higher your LBM, the higher your BMR will be. This is very significant when you want to lose body fat because it means the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn at rest. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, and it requires a great deal of energy to sustain it. The best way to increase your BMR is to increase your LBM. This is why you could say that weight training helps you lose body fat, albeit indirectly.
Age
The metabolic rate tends to slow down with age. Therefore, the number of calories the average person requires also goes down with age. Fortunately, you can prevent and even reverse the age-related slowdown in metabolism by developing more muscle through weight training and nutrition.
Men vs Women
Men usually require more calories than women. The average male has a maintenance level of 2800 calories per day. The average female requires only 2000 calories per day to maintain. The reason for this difference is not so much a sex-related issue as a bodyweight and muscle mass issue; the average man carries much more muscle mass than the average female and this explains the spread in calorie requirements between men and women. Except for individual genetically-related differences in BMR, a 140-pound man and a 140-pound woman would have the same calorie requirements if their activity levels were identical.
Tracking your calories and macros can be confusing and real pain, especially if you’re just starting to learn about nutrition and how food influences your workouts and alters your physique. Measuring 30 grams of protein for a meal can often be so confusing that many people just give up and go back to filling their plates with whatever is on the table.
To alleviate some of this confusion, and to clear up misinformation, I’m going to explain what macronutrients are (see below), and help you learn how to measure them better. Let’s learn about protein, carbs, and fat, and how to accurately fit each into your nutrition plan!
Protein
Protein is the raw construction material for body cells like bricks are for a building. Body structures made from protein include skin, hair, nails, bones, connective tissue and of course, muscle. Next to water, protein is the most abundant substance in your body, making up approximately 15-20% of your weight. Of most interest to people who want to gain muscle and lose fat is the fact that 60-70% of all protein in the body is located in skeletal muscles.
Nitrogen
Proteins, carbs and fats are all composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, but it’s the additional presence of nitrogen that separates protein from the other macronutrients. Only protein can bring nitrogen into the body. Because muscle tissue contains most of the body’s protein and protein contains nitrogen, scientists can study the effect of dietary protein on muscle growth by comparing the amount of nitrogen consumed with the amount excreted (In feces, urine and sweat). If the intake of nitrogen is greater than the amount excreted, then we know that protein is being retained and new muscle is being synthesized. This is known as positive nitrogen balance. If more nitrogen is excreted than consumed, you are in negative nitrogen balance, indicating that protein is being broken down and muscle is being lost.
Protein Portions
Here’s what 30 grams of protein looks like from various common sources. Use these photos as guides so you can quickly and easily measure your own protein portions. For example, if you need 150 grams of protein per day, you need around 5 of these protein portions per day.
30g Protein each
Hover for more
One 4 oz Chicken Breast
165 Calories
Lean source of protein, contains potassium and vitamin B12
4 oz Lean Beef Mince
218 Calories
Good source of iron. Make sure you use premium lean mince and trim the fat on steaks for less saturated fat.
Five Whole Eggs
388 Calories
Excellent protein source! For less fat, use egg whites only.
One Scoop Whey Protein Powder
170 Calories
Very calorie efficient (low carbs and fat). Convenient for use when travelling.
Seven Rashers of Bacon
428 Calories
Contains protein, but also fat. If you want to keep your fat intake down, trim the fat off, or find an alternative.
¾ Block of Tofu
311 Calories
For vegetarians and vegans, is a good protein source. Made of soybeans and contains a lot of healthy fat.
6 oz Tempeh
333 Calories
Tempeh is another soy product. Along with protein and fat, you'll get a healthy dose of magnesium, iron, and vitamin B6.
7 Cups Quinoa
278 Calories
Quinoa is a complete protein and can be used as a vegetarian protein source.
Amino acids – The smallest units of a protein; “the building blocks of protein.”
20 different types of amino acids required for human body growth. Each protein is assembled by bonding different amino acids into various configurations. Growth hormone, for example, is a protein chain of 156 amino acids.
Amino acids are like bricks of building material that can be cemented together into a nearly unlimited number combinations. The body “cements” amino acids together with peptide bonds into various configurations to create every type of muscle tissue and body proteins.
Essential amino acids (from nutrition only)
Out of twenty amino acids, the human body cannot make nine of them. These nine are called “essential amino acids” and must be supplied from your food.
- Histidine
- Isoleucine
- Leucine
- Valine
- Lysine
- Methionine
- Phenylalanine
- Threonine
- Tryptophan
Non essential amino acids (made in the body)
The other eleven amino acids are called “non essential amino acids” and can be made by the body itself as required.
- Alanine
- Arginine
- Asparagine
- Aspartic Acid
- Cysteine
- Glutamic acid
- Glutamine
- Glycine
- Proline
- Serine
- Tyrosine
BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids)
BCAAs or branched-chain amino acids are the most essential amino acids for both repairing muscle and muscle growth. Of the 9 essential amino acids, 3 are branched-chain; leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
What do BCAA supplements do?
The most popular uses of BCAAs are muscle recovery and helping to build muscle. Leucine, isoleucine, and valine all have great properties like; activating certain pathways in the body that stimulate muscle protein synthesis, boosting energy, and promoting endurance.
It is very common to feel sore a day or two after a workout, especially if the routine is new. BCAAs work with your body to prevent muscle breakdown and soreness so that you can recover faster and have a better general pace at the gym.
Delayed fatigue is another great benefit of taking a branched-chain amino supplement. BCAAs delay fatigue by being used as an additional energy source during prolonged exercise, which is great for performance athletes. BCAAs can also help to boost the immune system and protect lean muscle from wasting.
Should I take a BCAAs?
Muscle growth (protein synthesis) requires enough availability of all essential amino acid precursors. A dietary supplement of BCAAs alone cannot support an increased rate of muscle protein synthesis. So it’s better to get an intake of all 9 EAAs for optimal growth and recovery instead of just BCAAs. This can easily be achieved with whole protein sources throughout the day such as lean meats, fish, dairy, and combinations of plant-based proteins. Supplementation of EAAs may be beneficial when training in the morning in a fasted state to protect against protein breakdown during the workout.
Do I take EAAs before or after a workout?
EAAs can be taken before you hit the gym when fasted, alongside your pre-workout meal to ensure they’re in your system to help prevent muscle loss and fatigue. It is then recommended to take another whey protein shake after your workout to promote muscle recovery and growth before your first whole meal (with whole protein source and nutrients)
References:
Wolfe, R.R. Branched-chain amino acids and muscle protein synthesis in humans: myth or reality?. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14, 30 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0184-9
Complete Protein vs Incomplete Proteins
Foods that contain a balanced combination of all the essential and nonessential amino acids in the exact amounts required by the body for growth are called “complete proteins.” These include:
- Free range chicken breast / turkey breast
- Lean red meats. (sirloin, rump, top round, flank)
- Low fat dairy products (milk, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, natural cheeses)
- Free range whole eggs
- Wild fish and shellfish
- Protein powders
- Free range chicken breast / turkey breast
- Lean red meats. (sirloin, rump, top round, flank)
- Low fat dairy products (milk, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, natural cheeses)
- Free range whole eggs
- Wild fish and shellfish
- Protein powders
In order to synthesize muscle, all the essential amino acids must be available simultaneously. Any non-essential amino acids that are in short supply can be produced by the liver, but if an essential amino acid is missing, the body must break down its own proteins to obtain it.
To prevent muscle cell breakdown, dietary protein must supply all the essential amino acids. If your diet is missing any essential amino acids, protein synthesis will be inhibited.
For vegans and vegitarians, many grains and legumes contain substantial amounts of protein, but none provide the full array of essential amino acids. Beans, for example, are very high in protein with about 15 grams per cup. However, they are missing the essential amino acid Methionine. Grains are lacking the essential amino acid Lysine. It’s been frequently pointed out that combining two incomplete sources of vegetable protein such as rice and beans provides you with the full complement of essential amino acids. This may be true, but there’s a decided difference between simply meeting your minimum amino acid requirements for health and consuming the optimal quality of protein for building muscle.
Protein powder manufacturers throw around fancy words like cross flow microfiltration, oligopeptides, ion-exchange, whey isolates, biological value and they list numerous scientific references, and it sure sounds convincing. But don’t forget that the supplement industry is big business. The truth is that as long as you eat a sufficient quality of whole food proteins at frequent intervals throughout the day, it’s not necessary to consume any protein supplements whatsoever to get outstanding results.
Make no mistake, the best sources of protein come from real, natural, unprocessed quality foods. The problem is that all these lean protein sources tend to be more expensive and it can be tough to get enough protein within your budget. Also there comes the time when you just want some sweet chocolate or cinnamon-bun taste while getting your protein in at the same time.
Protein supplements are a simple and tasty method to fill your daily protein requirements and they are pretty cheap on a cost-per-serving basis.
The main advantage of protein supplements is convenience. Whey-based protein powders are an excellent way to get protein if you’re not consuming enough from whole foods, but they’re NOT better than whole foods. The human digestive system was not designed to process liquids all day long; it was designed to digest food. By over- consuming liquid protein supplements you’re only short-changing yourself on the thermic effects that solid food provides. Similarly, amino acid tablets provide no benefit that food cannot. Amino acids are nothing more than an extremely expensive way to get extra protein.
Common Questions:
Is Protein Bad For You?
Carbohydrates and Fibre
Carbohydrates are used for energy, particularly high-intensity exercise. Sports nutritionist Dr. Michael Colgan, author of “Optimum Sports Nutrition,” calls carbohydrates “premium fuel.” Fats are also used for fuel, but the difference is that fats don’t burn as efficiently as carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred and most efficient energy source. Whenever carbohydrates are restricted, high energy levels and optimal performance usually decline.
There are simple and complex carbohydrates, starchy and fibrous carbohydrates, refined and natural carbohydrates, high-glycemic and low-glycemic carbohydrates. Some of these carbohydrates are good and some are bad. The good carbohydrates are your friends; they will supply you with energy and nutrients and help you get leaner and more muscular. The bad carbohydrates are your foes; they have a greater potential for fat storage, they are nutritionally void and rob you of energy.
Choosing Carbs
The following are examples of different types of carbs. Aim to stick mainly to complex carbs like oatmeal and vegetables, that take a little longer to digest, don’t spike your blood sugar as dramatically, and often contain more fiber than their simple counterparts.
If you want to feel more full while in a calorie deficit, then select carb sources with less carbs per 100g (lower density of calories and carbs).
FIBROUS Complex Carbs: (net carbs per 100 grams)*
* Net carbs = digestible carbs, i.e. total carbs minus fibre
STARCHY Complex Carbs: (net carbs per 100 grams)*
* Net carbs = digestible carbs, i.e. total carbs minus fibre
FRUITS: (net carbs per 100 grams)*
* Net carbs = digestible carbs, i.e. total carbs minus fibre
Processed Starchy Carbs: (50 grams of carbohydrates)
Hover for more
1 ¾ Cup Oatmeal
291 Calories
Low-cholesterol, lots of fibre, and contains some iron, calcium, riboflavin, and folate.
One Cup Brown Rice
216 Calories
Low in fat, cholesterol, and salt. Has fiber, and includes selenium and manganese.
Two Slices of Wholegrain Bread
200 Calories
Cheap and convenient carbohydrate source. Whole-grain is not the same as whole-wheat.
125g Cooked Pasta
163 Calories
Normally made of flour, eggs, salt and water. Most is made with semolina or durum.
Carbohydrates are stored in your muscles and liver in the form of glycogen, but in limited quantities.
About 400 grams of glycogen can be stored in the muscles (1600 calories) and approximately 100 grams (400 calories) in the liver.
Stored carbohydrates (glycogen) are your primary energy source (“main fuel tank”) for weight training and high-intensity exercise, so this explains why your energy will be low and your workouts will suffer when you don’t eat many carbohydrates. Low carbohydrate diets are seldom appropriate for athletes or anyone else involved in serious training.
Your body is always burning a mixture of carbohydrate and fat for fuel. During low intensity, long-duration exercise, most of your energy comes from fat. Body fat is stored in the body as a backup energy source (“reserve fuel tank”). A 185-pound man with 18% body fat has 116,500 calories stored in his “reserve tank.”
Most of your energy also comes from fat while you are at rest (Although you don’t burn many calories worth of fat when you’re laying on the couch). During short bouts of high intensity exercise such as sprinting or weight lifting, glycogen (carbohydrate) is the main fuel source. Your primary fuel source also tends to change depending on which fuel is more readily available.
Your body can easily use fat for fuel and even in lean people, there’s enough fat stored to last a long time. However, carbohydrates are always the limiting factor in exercise and athletic performance because carbohydrates are the more efficient fuel source. Exercise burns up muscle glycogen very quickly and if you fail to replace it every day by eating high carbohydrate foods, your glycogen stores quickly diminish. Within about three days of a severe carbohydrate cutback, your muscle glycogen will be almost totally depleted.
The trick to fat loss then is to reduce the amount of energy in your fat reserve tank while retaining the energy in your carbohydrate’s main tank. This is done by gently encouraging fat loss with a conservative calorie reduction, quality protein, sufficient sleep, quality weight training and consistency.
There are two broad categories of carbohydrates: Simple and complex. Complex carbohydrates, also known as polysaccharides (meaning many saccharides).
Complex carbohydrates are formed when thousands of sugar molecules are linked together in long chains. These chains take longer to break down and digest than simple carbohydrates (which gives them a higher thermic effect).
Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest and absorb than simple carbohydrates. They provide sustained energy levels without the highs and lows in blood sugar and energy levels produced by eating simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates contain fiber, which slows down their absorption and helps stabilise blood sugar and insulin.
Complex carbohydrates are also more filling, allowing you to feel fuller on less food. Complex carbohydrates from natural sources are also the most nutrient-dense carbohydrates you can eat, whereas refined (white) sugar is nutritionally void.
Complex carbohydrates have a higher thermic effect and they stimulate less insulin production. For all these reasons, complex carbohydrates are the carbohydrates of choice for fat loss. As a general rule, 2/3 or more of all your carbohydrates should be complex carbohydrates, while 1/3 or less should be simple carbohydrates.
Types of Complex Carbs
There are two types of complex carbohydrates: Starchy and fibrous.
Starchy Complex Carbohydrates (starches)
Starch is a form of energy storage in plants – like glycogen is energy storage in human muscle.
Starchy carbohydrates are found in potatoes, cereals, grains, bread, pasta, rice, oats, wheat and beans.
Your body is able to completely absorb and digest all the caloric energy in starches, and therefore the calorie density of starch is higher than fibrous carbohydrates.
Fibrous Complex Carbohydrates (vegetables)
Fiber is found in starchy carbs such as potatoes, pasta, oats, beans and whole grains as well as in vegetables. However, we will refer to vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, lettuce and green beans as “fibrous carbohydrates” because the vegetables (especially the green ones) have different properties than starches.
Fibrous carbohydrates include broccoli, lettuce, cauliflower, zucchini, tomatoes, asparagus, green beans, squash, cucumber and spinach.
Fibrous carbohydrates such as green vegetables don’t contain many calories – they have a “low calorie density.” Low calorie density foods are very important for fat loss because they make it easier to stay full without going over your calorie limits.
It’s nearly impossible to over-eat green vegetables because the calories are so low. You would literally get tired of chewing before you ate too much. For example, two cups of rice contains more than 400 calories while two cups of cucumbers contains only 48 calories. The volume is the same, but the difference in caloric density is almost ten fold!
The starches are much more calorie-dense than the fibrous carbohydrates. Some fibrous vegetables are so low in calories that once the thermic effect is factored in, it could be said that such foods have “negative calories.” This is the primary reason that a fat reducing nutrition program should be very high in vegetables.
There are two broad categories of carbohydrates: Simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates consist of a single sugar molecule (monosaccharide) or two single sugar molecules linked together (disaccharide).
Monosaccharides
- Glucose (blood sugar)
- Fructose (fruit sugar)
- Galactose
Disaccharides
- Sucrose (table sugar) glucose and fructose
- Lactose (dairy sugar) glucose and galactose
- Maltose (malt sugar) glucose and glucose
Monosaccharides include fructose, glucose, and galactose. The two we’ll refer to the most are fructose (fruit sugar) and glucose (blood sugar.) Glucose is found naturally in food or it can be produced in the body through the breakdown of complex carbohydrates. Fructose is the type of simple carbohydrate found in fruit and sugar cane.
Disaccharides are formed by the combination of two monosaccharide molecules. Examples include Sucrose (table sugar), which is formed by the combination of fructose and glucose, and Lactose (dairy sugar), which is composed of galactose and glucose.
Fiber, also known as roughage, comes from fibrous complex carbs and is one of the best tools in our fat loss tool box. Fiber is the indigestible portion of the plant and therefore passes straight through your digestive tract without all the caloric energy being absorbed.
Fiber gives bulk to the intestinal contents, promotes healthy digestion and elimination, speeds the transit time of food through the digestive tract and provides protection from gastrointestinal diseases and colon cancer. You could say that fiber is “nature’s internal cleanser.” When you’re eating every three hours and your diet is high in protein, the importance of fiber for your health is obvious.
Benefits of fiber:
- Promotes healthy digestion and elimination.
- Ensures steady transit of food through the digestive tract.
- Stabilises blood sugar levels and corresponding energy levels.
- Stabilises effect of insulin.
- Provides protection from gastrointestinal diseases and colon cancer
Soluble fiber (dissolves in water)
Soluble fiber is fermented by colon bacteria into gases (farts). It’s made up of strings of glucose molecules such as pectins (found in fruit and processed jelly) that absorb water. This acts like treacle in your food to slow down digestion and give your body a chance to absorb as much of the nutrients as possible. Examples include:
- Oatmeal
- Lentils
- Apples
- Pears
- Bran
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Nuts
- Flaxseeds
- Beans
- Psyllium husk
- Cucumber
- Carrot
Insoluble fiber (doesn’t dissolve in water)
This is made of non-glucose carbohydrates such as cellulose (like the stringy stuff in your celery). Because it doesn’t dissolve in water, it acts like a natural laxative to speed up the passage of food through your system. Examples include:
- Wheat
- Whole grains
- Seeds
- Nuts
- Barley
- Couscous
- Brown Rice
- Bulgar
- Celery
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Green Beans
- Dark Leafy Greens
- Fruit
- Root vegetable skins
Both soluble and insoluble are required!
The insoluble fiber forms a stringy latticework that the gloopy soluble fibre clings to. It’s kind of like the hair catcher on your shower drain. Without it, the hair simply passes down the drain quickly. But when the catcher is in place, you can eventually get a blocked up shower plug. In our case however this is a good thing! It provides a slow steady drip-feed of nutrients into the liver to metabolise.
Processed foods = fiber removed
75% of the foods available in most supermarkets around the country are processed foods that lack the fibre of any sort. Processing foods and removing its fiber (breads, flour, rice, pasta, crackers, cereal, bars, crisps, chips, baked goods) gives it a finer texture and extends the shelf life (good for the food company but bad for the customer).
For us to get the full benefits of fiber, it must fully coat the inner starchy granules. The bran on the outside of the starch acts as a physical barrier that your digestive enzymes will slowly strip away before accessing the internal starch (glucose). This means your blood sugar levels will rise slowly and the peak level will be lower.
However, if you remove the bran layer, you are left with only the starch and your blood glucose levels will rise much faster, giving you much more erratic blood sugar levels and insulin releases (including all those corresponding negative consequences).
Does dietary fiber equal weight loss? Possibly.
If you keep your calories constant, then use of fibre will not result in any weight loss. You must eat fewer calories than you burn in order to use up stored body fat. However, eating fiber will make you feel fuller for longer and with less cravings. This can help you naturally reduce the amount of food you eat, and in turn allow your body to release stored fat. High fibre foods are also less calorie dense (foods with less calories for the same quantity of food). These need more time to chew which can reduce your eating speed to allow you to feel the satisfaction to stop eating. When you feel satisfied, it’s important to leave any remaining food on your plate. Notice how much less you ate, and next time simply start with a smaller portion.
Effect of Simple Carbs on Blood Sugar Levels
Due to their “simple” molecular structure, simple carbs are digested very quickly and cause a rapid rise in blood sugar. Your body responds to blood sugar peaks by releasing large amounts of insulin (the hormone responsible for getting the glucose out of the bloodstream and into the cells where it can be used for energy).
When there’s a large blood sugar spike, your body tends to “overreact” and produce too much insulin. The insulin quickly clears the glucose from the bloodstream, leading to a sharp drop in blood sugar known as hypoglycemia. Low blood sugar is accompanied by cravings, hunger, weakness, mood swings and decreased energy. The hunger and cravings tend to cause the sugar consumption to perpetuate itself, resulting in a vicious cycle of ups and downs in energy throughout the day.
Controlling Blood Sugar Levels for Fat Loss
To lose body fat more efficiently, it helps to maintain steady blood sugar levels.
Here’s why: High insulin levels slow down the breakdown of stored body fat. You can manage your blood sugar and insulin levels by choosing fewer simple carbohydrates, more complex carbohydrates, eating fiber and having your carbohydrates with lean proteins.
Insulin is not necessarily the “bad guy” as it is sometimes portrayed, but it can be a double-edged sword if not managed through proper carbohydrate choices. Insulin is an anabolic hormone that’s absolutely essential for getting amino acids into the muscles for growth and getting carbohydrates into the muscles where they’re needed for energy.
The problem is when there’s too much insulin and when resistance to insulin is produced by chronically eating too many simple and refined carbohydrates. When your blood sugar and insulin levels are abnormally high, you’re not in a fat-burning mode – you’re in a fat-storing mode.
GI Scale – OUTDATED
The glycemic index (GI) is a scale that measures how quickly a carbohydrate food is broken down into glucose. In general, complex carbohydrates are released more slowly than simple carbohydrates, although this is not true 100% of the time. Some complex carbohydrates such as potatoes and carrots are broken down into blood glucose very quickly because they are high on the GI. Other simple carbohydrates such as apples are converted into blood glucose very slowly because they are low on the GI.
The GI was initially developed as a tool to help people with diabetes keep their blood glucose under control. The GI has recently attracted a lot of attention in the fitness and weight loss world. Many diet programs base their carbohydrate choices entirely on the GI, stating that high GI foods are fattening and low GI foods are not. One well-known health and nutrition “guru” even wrote, “High-glycemic foods like rice cakes, bread, and potatoes stress the body’s insulin system and probably are chief culprits in obesity.” Unfortunately, this is a gross oversimplification and has only added confusion to an already confusing subject.
According to advocates of the GI system, foods high on the scale such as rice cakes, carrots, potatoes, or grape juice are “unfavorable” and should be avoided because they are absorbed so rapidly and are therefore more likely to convert to fat. Instead, we are urged to consume carbohydrates that are low on the GI such as black eye peas, barley, oatmeal, peanuts, apples and beans.
Although the GI has some useful applications, such as in post-workout and pre- workout carbohydrate choices, it’s not the most relevant factor when it comes to fat loss. The GI is only one of many criteria you should consider in selecting your carbohydrates during a fat loss program.
The mistake in using the GI as your only criteria for making carbohydrate choices is that the GI was developed based on eating carbohydrates by themselves in a fasted state. The BFFM program is based on combining carbohydrates and protein together. When carbohydrates are eaten in mixed meals that contain protein and some fat, the GI loses its significance because the protein and fat slows the absorption of the carbohydrates.
For example, mashed potatoes have a GI near that of pure glucose, but if you combine the potatoes with a chicken breast and broccoli, the GI of the entire meal is much lower than the potatoes alone. Rice cakes also have a high GI. But if you put a dab of peanut butter on them, the fat slows the absorption of the carbohydrates, lowering the GI of the combination.
The GI is also affected by frequent eating. The GI was developed based on eating a food in the fasted state. On this program, you will be eating approximately every three hours – that’s about as far from a fasted state as you can get. Because undigested food from each previous meal can slow the absorption rate of the current meal and because frequent eating stabilizes blood sugar levels, this also makes the index lose some of its relevance.
To say that foods like potatoes and carrots are fattening and shouldn’t be eaten simply because they are high on the glycemic index is ridiculous. Although some bodybuilders drop out potatoes, opting instead for lower GI starches such as yams and oatmeal, many others, myself included, eat white potatoes up to the day of competition and their body fat reaches the low single digits.
The GI is definitely a factor you can consider when deciding which carbohydrates to eat, but using the GI as your only criteria for choosing your carbohydrates is a mistake. If low GI foods were the key to fat loss, then you could eat ice cream, peanut M & M’s, and sausages and you’d lose weight. There are more important factors than the GI. For maximum fat loss and optimal health, a much more relevant criterion than GI is whether your carbohydrates are natural or processed.
Common Questions
Fats
Your body needs essential quality fats, just like a car needs engine oil top ups for optimal engine operation. Also just like a car needing oil, your body only needs a small amount (15 – 20% daily calories), so careful not to overdo it.
Eating the GOOD kind of fats can increase your energy, increase fat burning, increase muscle-building hormones, increase your strength, improve insulin function, improve your skin texture and strengthen your joints.
Eating the BAD kind of fats can increase your blood cholesterol, clog your arteries, increase fat storage and wreak total havoc in your body.
When selecting a fat for your body, look to get quality sources of omega-3 fats from fatty fish like salmon, sardines and tuna. Other sources include ground flaxseed, walnuts, and dark leafy greens. If your body doesn’t like the taste of fish, look at getting it in supplement form.
Fat Density
Per gram of fat, you get 9 calories, which is more than twice the amount of calories you get from carbs and protein above. So as you watch your calories, make sure you don’t accidentally go over your fat budget.
Here’s what 20 grams of fat looks like from various common sources. Use these photos as guides so you can quickly and easily measure your own fat needs! For example, if you have 60 grams of fat per day, you need to limit your fat portions to less than 3 of these per day.
20 grams of fat
Hover for more info
1 ½ Tbsp Cooking Oil
180 Calories!
Make sure you carefully measure any cooking oils when counting calories.
40 grams Raw Almonds
230 Calories!
Full of good fat. Can be easily measured, and they store well for a long time.
40 grams (2 tbsp) Peanut Butter
235 Calories
Choose high quality peanut butter that has little or no sugar and is made with very few ingredients.
¾ Avocado
241 Calories
It's tasty, full of good nutrients, and pairs well with just about anything.
Fats are made up of chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms linked together. A fatty acid molecule is made of a carbon backbone:
Attached to the carbon backbone are hydrogen atoms:
How saturated a fat is depends on whether there are any spaces left on the carbon chain.
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SATURATED = all the carbons have a hydrogen attached.
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UNSATURATED = Some carbons aren’t linked to hydrogen.
See how those two carbons in the middle don’t have a hydrogen atom attached to them? That’s what makes a fat unsaturated – the carbons are not saturated with hydrogen.
Depending on the molecular structure, each fat can have totally different properties. The molecular structure of saturated fats makes them “sticky,” which makes you more prone to heart attacks and strokes. They also interfere with insulin function, which is important when you want to lose fat. The unsaturated fats have benefits and protective effects. They can improve insulin function, counteract some of the negative effects of saturated fats (as in the Eskimo example), increase your energy and help you lose body fat.
There are three types of fatty acids. some helpful, some harmful. Every fat or oil consists of a combination of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats tend to lower levels of blood cholesterol and contain healthy essential fatty acids (EFA’s) such as omega 3’s and omega 6’s.
Saturated fats in general are neutral, not really good or bad.
Trans fatty acids are very dangerous. They cause numerous health problems including heart disease and possibly even cancer.
Like other “essential” nutrients such as “essential” amino acids, an essential fatty acid is one that the body cannot make and must be supplied through the diet. The monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats contain the essential fats – these are the good guys. Essential fatty acids are found in all the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats I mentioned earlier, but some unsaturated fats are higher in EFA’s than others. The two EFA’s are:
- Omega 6 – (linoleic acid or LA)
- Omega 3 – (alpha linolenic or LNA)
Most people don’t get enough EFA’s (particularly Omega 3). People who intentionally restrict fat to very low levels are often borderline deficient. Although a true clinical EFA deficiency is rare, a very low fat diet is clearly not going to give you optimal amounts of these beneficial good fats. The classic symptom of EFA deficiency is dry, flaky skin. Omega 3’s can be provided by food or with an EFA supplement. Smooth, velvety skin is just one of many benefits of EFA’s. There are at least eleven important function of EFA’s in your diet:
- Improves insulin sensitivity
- Required for absorption of fat soluble vitamins
- Essential for joint health
- Required for energy production
- Required for Oxygen transfer
- Maintains cell membrane integrity
- Suppresses cortisol production
- Improves skin texture (dry skin is a classic symptom of EFA deficiency)
- Growth promoting
- Increases metabolic rate
- Helps burn fat
Bet the last two on this list really got your attention!
“At levels above 12 or 15% of total calories, EFAs increase the rate of metabolic reactions in the body and the increased rate burns more fat into carbon dioxide, water and energy (heat), resulting in fat burn off and loss of excess weight.” – Udo Erasmus’s book “Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill.”
You might want to go back and read that quote again, because this is huge! There goes the entire very low-fat diet right out the window as a means of fat loss.
Although it only takes a tiny amount of essential fatty acids in the diet to prevent a deficiency, avoiding a deficiency is not the goal when your interest is losing body fat. Your goal is to take in the optimal amount that will have fat-reducing and growth-enhancing effects; that amount is at least 12 to 15%.
Omega fats are essential polyunsaturated fats. See item above regarding essential fats.
Omega 3 Supplements – Aim for a combined EPA and DHA total of 2000 mg per day.
Omega 3s are made of long-chain fatty acids such as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and short chain fatty acids called ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). These three function as stabilisers of cells membranes, particularly in the brain to prevent dementia. Omega 3s are the precursors of some essential fatty acids that we have to have. Studies everywhere show that enough omega-3s will reduce inflammation, and therefore can provide benefits to a wide range of diseases including cancer, asthma, depression, cardiovascular disease, ADHD, and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Omega 3s come from wild fish but they don’t really come from the fish themselves. They come from the algae that the fish eat. The problem is algae tastes awful, so it’s much better to just eat the wild fish after they’ve eaten the algae. The fish eat the algae, we eat the fish. Just make sure your fish is wild caught and not corn fed on a fish farm. Aim to get around two servings of wild fish per week.
Omega 3s are also found in fatty layers of cold-water shellfish, plant and nut oils, flaxseed, walnuts, flaxseed, algae oils, and fortified foods. You can even get omega-3s as supplements. Food and supplement sources of these fatty acids differ in the forms and amounts they contain.
Omega 6s are presented in the body in the form of arachidonic acid which is primary in the inflammatory response. Inflammation is a good thing for helping the body to break things down and rebuild them to help keep us healthy, but only to a point. You only need a little inflammation.
Aim to get an omega 6 to 3 ratio of 1:1. The current obese diet has a ratio of around 30:1. This means too much inflammation from lots of omega 6s and not enough omega 3s. The only way to reduce inflammation is to get back to a 1:1 ratio by changing your diet.
Don’t gorge on nuts! Keep your overall fat intake relatively low (30% or less, preferably closer to 20%).
Every fat or oil gets 100% of its calories from fat. Olive oil for example, is more healthful than partially hydrogenated oil, but one tablespoon still derives 100% of its calories from fat. Regardless of whether an oil or fat is healthy or not, it’s still high in calories. A tablespoon of any oil will set you back about 130 calories and 14 grams of fat.
Therefore, you should try to reduce the amount of fats and oils you consume in general if fat loss is your goal. Otherwise, you are much more likely to exceed your daily calorie limits. If you eat macadamia nuts, walnut, cashews or peanuts as your favorite snack every time you watch TV, you could be hundreds – even thousands of calories over your optimal fat burning level! Nuts contain good fats, but watch those calories!
Using cooking spray is much better than throwing oil in your fry pan because it would take a 15 second spray to equal 1 tablespoon of oil.
Trans fats = anything with “hydrogenated” in the ingredients list.
Oils can go rancid very quickly upon exposure to light and air. “Hydrogenation” and “partial hydrogenation” are processes that food companies use to extend the shelf life of their products and to make cheap spreadable products such as margarine.
“Hydrogenated oils are a manufacturers dream: an unspoilable substance that lasts forever.” – Dr. Erasmus.
The process of hydrogenation makes an unsaturated fat such as vegetable oil take on the dangerous properties. Hydrogenated oils are “processed fats” the same way that white flour is a “processed carbohydrate.”
Partially hydrogenated oils contain large amounts of chemically altered fats known as trans fatty acids. Partial hydrogenation is what turns oils into spreadable margarines and makes the oils more stable. They also make baked goods moist and flaky. Hydrogenated oils and trans fatty acids are found in margarines and spreads, baked goods and fried foods.
Food manufacturers get real sneaky when it comes to trans fats, because they aren’t required to list them on their labels. They can say things like “no cholesterol,” or “low saturated fat” yet their product is loaded with harmful trans fats. Many people switched from butter to margarine thinking they were doing good by avoiding the saturated fat in the butter. What they missed was that the margarine was full of trans fats!
Fats that contain trans fats include fried foods (fried chicken, french fries, fried onion rings, tater tots, etc), cookies, crackers, biscuits, frostings, pies, pastries, doughnuts, corn chips, taco shells, shortening, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, refined vegetable oils, baked goods (croutons, crackers, cookies, cakes, breads) and margarine.
Trans fatty acids are very dangerous. They cause numerous health problems including heart disease and possibly even cancer. They certainly don’t help you get any leaner and may hinder the fat-burning process in more ways than one. The trans fatty acids in hydrogenated oil are believed to raise bad blood cholesterol (LDL) even more than saturated fats.
10 Destructive Effects of Trans Fats:
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Decreases insulin sensitivity.
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Increases insulin response to glucose.
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Weakens immune system function.
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Raises the “bad” LDL cholesterol in your bloodstream.
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Lowers HDL (good) cholesterol.
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Increases blood triglycerides.
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Interferes with your liver’s detoxification processes.
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Higher risk of cancer.
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Interferes with EFA functions.
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Makes your platelets stickier.
Common Questions
What Fats Should I Eat and Avoid?
Is Fat Bad?
Are Eggs Bad for You?
Coconut Oil Uses and Benefits
Is Saturated Fat Bad for Me?
Is Butter Good for You?