If we look for changes in our body composition , it is not only valid with that of "I already eat healthy", "I already eat five meals a day" or "I already avoid these foods that make you fat."
This is not enough and even things like the five meals are practically irrelevant in most cases. In this article we explain five nutrition lessons that you should know to lose fat or weight.
Calories matter
As we said, it is not enough to eat what we consider good.
We do not doubt that you follow a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, quality proteins and healthy fats but when looking for a loss of fat and weight, calories matter.
This way you must know your maintenance calories (basal metabolism multiplied by an activity factor) and apply a deficit of between 15% and 20% approximately. To know the calories you need in Vitónica we have guides in this regard . If you don't apply this deficit, you won't lose fat.
Correctly distributes the three macronutrients
Once we know the importance of applying the first lesson regarding calories, it is important to correctly distribute these in the three macronutrients : proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
At this point it is important to remember that all the advice we give here requires a daily monitoring of the food we eat and its more or less exact amounts.
If we want to lose fat, the ideal is to start by setting the total daily grams of protein, which can range between 2 and 2.5 grams per kilo of weight , although in specific contexts and protocols it can increase up to 3 grams. If you are overweight or obese, do these calculations based on your fat-free mass, not your total body weight.
Second, we must fix the fats, which can generally range between 0.7 and 1.5 , although in low carb or keto protocols they can exceed this upper margin to the detriment of carbohydrates.
Finally, the remaining calories are allocated to carbohydrates, taking into account that each gram of protein and carbohydrates contributes 4 kcal. per gram and each gram of fat, 9 .
Don't forget about micronutrients
Once the two previous lessons have been completed and internalized, we cannot ignore the fact that eating is not a means to an end such as losing fat, you have to think long-term and about health, and for this the body needs micronutrients to function well , which includes vitamins, minerals or fiber.
That said, it is important that you consume fruits and vegetables daily or at least if you do not consume much of one of the two, that the other is so highly varied that it compensates for the lower intake of the other. A good recommendation is to try to consume as many different colors as possible when choosing fruits and vegetables. The color of the food says a lot about the color and appearance it will have on the outside.
When you handle all of the above perfectly, think about supplements
The last lesson. Supplements can put the icing on the cake depending on the context. There are no mandatory supplements unless you are vegetarian and vegan or have any condition that requires them .
There are supplements of all kinds: for general health, for performance, to help us meet nutritional requirements (proteins, carbohydrates ...), for fat loss ...
But remember, the nutritional supplement industry is governed by the same laws as any other type of industry: supply and demand. These laws make a wide range of supplements of all kinds available to the customer that do not always meet the buyer's expectations.
Keep the above in mind when buying any supplement. Your expectations of him may never be fulfilled or you may even be buying something that has no evidence in humans or that only exists in sick people or very specific population groups. Of course, a supplement will never ignore the fact that the rest of the diet must comply with all of the above.