Nutrition 101

Our food intake is made up of calories, which is then split down into macro
nutrients. Macronutrients are the carbs, fats and protein which make up our
daily intake of food (our calories). To lose weight you need to be in a calorific
deficit (eat less), and to gain weight you need to be in a calorific surplus (eat
more), but we can utilise the way we take in our macro nutrients according
to our goals, to get better results. Protein’s function is mainly to promote the growth and repair functions in the body, carbs give us energy and fats do a bit of both, they give us energy and help with cell growth. Below is my how I
structure my meals for fat loss.

If breakfast is something you usually have, a higher protein and fat breakfast
is usually optimal both for weight loss, satiation and lean muscle gain. Higher
protein in meals will keep you fuller for longer and help to keep you on track
throughout the day. If you prefer a carb breakfast, try to add some protein to
the meal I.e some protein powder to porridge oats, or eggs to your bagel. If
you don’t have breakfast at all, having a light snack before lunch or a larger
lunch can be beneficial to keep your energy levels up without feeling
overloaded too early in the day.
My Fitness pal will tell you how close you are to your macro goals as you
input throughout the day. This program is about making changes to your
current nutrition routine in order to help you reach your goals, I want to help
you find a good routine that nurtures your goals whilst you work, socialise
and relax.
Ultimately it’s optimal to have a larger meal at the start of the day and finish
with a smaller meal in the evening. This is because we need to fuel our body
for the day ahead and digestion needs to be easier at night when we go to
sleep. Higher calorie and fattier fish in the morning and leaner meats at night
are also best because we can use the energy from the fat in the morning.

I would suggest pre planning meals to keep on top of your nutrition. This
doesn’t just mean cooking - Thinking about what you will eat the week
before (regardless if you are cooking or buying) and ensuring you have
things in place to make this possible is key.
Cooking meals on a Sunday and Wednesday or the evening before is the
easiest way to stay on track if you have the time. You can weigh all your
food and input the meals into my fitness pal, so each day all you need to do
is add a portion of the meal you made to your daily tracker.

If you cannot prepare home cooked meals at any point throughout the week, the next best option is to use a meal prep company. You can pre order meals for the week and the company will usually deliver at the weekend and mid week, think about which meals you will need (breakfast, lunch or dinner, or all of the above) and think about where you will source your snacks from too.
Let me know if you would like a list of recommended meal prep companies.