How to Get Started
When I finished my NASM Nutrition Coach Certification, I had all the information, backed with scientific data logged in my brain and ready to use, but I did not have any physical proof. I had always yoyo dieted- reduced carbs in my diet, ate less calories unhealthily, and felt guilty when I ate anything “bad”, which led me to fall out of a healthy eating pattern. I never knew what I was doing and the components that went into a healthy diet to lose weight.
In order to lose weight you must be in a “caloric deficit”. A caloric deficit – is eating less calories than your TDEE. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)– How many calories you burn per day in any given daily activity; including workouts, house chores, etc. There are many equations to find the caloric deficit you should be following to lose weight. I used the Mifflin–St. Jeor equation, as recommended by the NASM text.
Once I found my caloric deficit, I was able to calculate my percentage in macros I should be eating daily. Macronutrients (Protein, Carbs, Fats)– Nutrients used in the largest amounts. It is important to have a healthy balance of macronutrients. I started with my protein, because I wanted to make sure I am getting 1 gram of protein per 1 lb. of body weight. A high protein diet is very important, because is promotes fat loss and increases lean muscle mass if you strength/resistance train. It also has the highest level of satiety (feeling full). Then I adjusted the carbs and fats accordingly. For me, this is what it looked like:
| Carbs 30% | Protein 35% | Fats 30% | |||
| Grams / Day | 133 | Grams / Day | 155 | Grams / Day | 69 |
| Calories / Day | 530 | Calories / Day | 620 | Calories / Day | 620 |
Unless you are following a straight forward meal plan, where the calories and macros are already set out for you, you have have to track your own meals. I use the app called MyFitness Pal, recommended by NASM. This app allows you to personalize all of the components listed above in this post. It may seem a little time consuming to enter all of your food intake per day, but when you are in a caloric deficit, chances are you are food prepping and most of your meals are very repetitive, so you are just copying the same meals throughout the week.
I find it is so beneficial to track your own food, because you become mindful of what you are consuming. I was able to see where my portion size of healthy fats may have been too much and was able to modify my recipes accordingly. I was also able to understand which foods had a considerable amount of macros and can add or take them out of recipes to meet my daily limits.
Once my cut is over, I will still track foods to become more knowledgeable about what is entering my body. Tracking food does have a downside for some people, because you can become obsessive about calorie counting, etc. Make sure to use it as a tool to be more mindful of your eating, not discourage you from eating food and fueling your body!
Some people are too busy to track their own food or would rather just have a straightforward plan put in front of them to follow and that is totally fine! It is and amazing to make the initiative and begin your journey of a healthy lifestyle by ways of nutrition! Contact me if you are interested in meal plans. I am currently calculating caloric deficits and creating meal plans for clients.
What I ate in a Day
1770 kcal/Day
Weekend:
Calories: 1,748 Protein: 143 Carbs: 177 Fat: 71
Breakfast: Ground Turkey, Feta Scramble
Lunch: Protein Shake
Dinner: Double Turkey Burger (lettuce wrapped), Air fried Sweet Potato Fries, Corn
Dessert: Simple Protein Parfait (I modified this recipe to have less calories to finish the day)
Strength Train, Run in the Morning:
Calories: 1,767 Protein: 140 Carbs: 147 Fat: 79
When I run, I have to make sure I have carbs to fuel my run, as that what is burned first and I do not want it to burn my protein stores! I need my protein for my gains!!
Before Run: Ezekial Toast w/ Peanut Butter & 1/2 Banana & Hardboiled Egg
Breakfast: Protein Shake
Snack: Hardboiled Egg
Lunch: Salad Kit & Chicken
Dinner: Asian Fish Bowl
Dessert: Berry Chocolate Chip Cottage Cheese Bowl
Strength Train, HIIT Cardio
Calories: 1,671 Protein: 154 Carbs: 155 Fat: 62
Breakfast: Breakfast Burrito w/ Ezekial Wrap, Chicken, Jalapenos & Spinach Scramble
Lunch: Salad Kit & Can of Tuna
Dinner: Pork Chili Verde
Dessert: Cottage Cheese Caramelized Peach Crumble
RESULTS
Loving the healthy road trip snacking!! I like how convenient each meal is to prep. Really enjoying this blog thank you for sharing!!
Yay! So happy you’re enjoying it!!