7/27 Foodie Friday

We are having so much fun celebrating our Fourth Anniversary! Thanks to everyone who attended our party and who is participating in our Anniversary Throwdown. Today is the final workout. I hope you all enjoy it! 
YES! It's finally FRIDAY! Who's ready for the weekend? I hope you all come out to CrossFit Hyalite tomorrow to cheer-on our 4 teams who are competing in the Battle for Quiet Waters. This competition is a fundraiser for Warrior for Quiet Waters, a non-profit organization that helps Military Veterans heal through fly fishing. It's a great organization and we're proud to support it. 
Last week I introduced to you the first step in learning how to count your Macros. Counting macros means to consume a precise amount of each macronutrient according to your macro plan. Through counting macros, calories are controlled for weight loss or weight gain. (There are 4 calories per 1 gram of protein and 1 gram carbohydrate and 9 calories per 1 gram of fat.) To lose weight you have to be in a caloric deficit. To gain muscle you need to be in a caloric surplus. Yes, calories do matter in the end. But, all calories are not equal, that's why we're counting Macros, not calories.
Today I'm exploring how to actually figure out how many Macros you need to eat to achieve your body composition goals. 
There are several good Macro plans, some of the most popular with CrossFitters are the RP (Renaissance Periodization), WAG (Working Against Gravity), IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros), and Macrostax. All of these plans aim to maximize your caloric intake through prioritizing protein and controlling your carbohydrate and fat intake based on your training load and body composition goals. 
I had my Macros calculated by 4 different programs, RP, TriFecta, SPG and IIFYM and here is what they suggest for me for weight loss. 

RP
Protein: 156g
Carbs: 175g
​Fat: 45g

TriFecta
Protein: 140g
Carbs: 175g
​Fat: 45g

SPG
​Protein: 189g
Carbs: 252g
​Fat: 84g

IIFYM
​Protein: 140g
Carbs: 193g
​Fat: 67g

As you can see SPG (based on the Zone diet) is a bit of an outlier. However, now that I have all this data, what should I do with it? The first step is to try something for at least 2 - 4 weeks. I don't mean half-assed attempts either. Really give it a good try. If after 2 weeks nothing happens, then I will reduce my carbs and fat. As CrossFitters, we need protein to build muscle and to help us recover form our high intensity workouts. 
How should you start? First, get weighed and figure out your body fat percent. You can do both of those things for free at Complete Nutrition or by taking your measurements on BTWB. On the BTWB app click on Log in the upper right corner. Now scroll down to Weigh In and click on it. Now enter your height, weight and measurements (scroll down to see those). Your body fat will be calculated for you. 
Now that you have your weight and body fat percent, use any number of free Macro calculators, SPG or IIFYM are free and easy. Now get a good kitchen scale, a set of measuring cups and measuring spoons. You'll need these measure how much food to eat. 
Now, the real work begins. You will need to weigh and measure everything you put in your mouth. If you cook most of you food, rather than purchase food in boxes, bottles, bags or cans, you have some extra work to do. Let's look at today's Foodie Friday recipe and calculate the macros. Let's make Well Fed's Hamburger Salad for dinner. 

I used Self Nutrition Database to determine the Macros. 

3 ounces of cooked ground beef
​1/2 of the entire salad
​2 TBS of the salad dressing 
2 TBS mayonnaise 

23g of Protein + 14g of Fat
7g of protein + 32g of carbs
24g of fat
22g of fat 

Total Macros: 30g of Protein, 32g of Carbs, 60g of Fat. This meal provided ALL of my fats for the day. If I skipped the mayo I could have some fat in another meal. I also need to make sure I eat more carbs and protein (which I do in my post workout-out protein + carbs shake.)  
Getting started in counting macros can be a real eye opener! It might be just missing piece you need to achieve the body composition and performance goals you seek. If you have any questions about this, please talk to any Coach. We all have experimented with counting Macros and can help get you off to a great start! Good luck! 

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