Hi there , welcome back to Kat & Tshepi blog.
We hope you are doing good and that your week yielded the results you desired. We had a fair week, it was slightly short of the busyness of the previous weeks, we are happy with this. We have been able to continue with our winter weight loss challenge and have been capturing it here (K&T 2024 Winter challenge). It is going well so far as we are losing a bit of weight without feeling restricted, last year we did a weight loss challenge (6 Months weight loss journey ) where we restricted ourselves drastically, this is the approach that most people follow when deciding to lose weight. This recipe works only for short term purposes as it can get very frustrating if followed for a prolonged period of time. We feel that a better approach is one that is focused on introducing small changes incrementally over a long term, this is the approach we are following this winter.
This week, we talk about the impact that balancing macronutrients has on our energy levels and weight loss success. Food is the source of energy for our bodies, and the food we consume falls under 3 categories of energy sources, Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats, these are called Macronutrients. We ask, which macronutrient do you enjoy the most? Is it the sweet stuff, maybe the starchy food, how about the fatty food or perhaps just plain meat. If you enjoy more of breads, pastas, starchy and sugary foods , you like Carbohydrates. If you like meats, you are a Protein kind of a person. If you would rather eat nuts, chocolate and fatty meats all day, you like Fats. Most foods overlap the 3 macro nutrients and one can enjoy all of them but we are sure there is specific macronutrient that has a strong pull effect than others. For us, it is Carbohydrates for Kat and Fats for Tshepi.
The food we like the most have a huge impact on our energy levels throughout the day as well as our rate of losing weight, it is therefore worthwhile to pay attention to the functions of these foods in the body and how they can help us sustain our energy levels and lose weight effectively. Knowing the benefits of each macronutrient can help us manage and regulate its consumption and find an optimal balance between our energy requirements and energy intake. When you like certain types of foods and turn to eat more of them over others, you can alter your body’s homeostasis, resulting in energy highs and lows throughout the day and possibly increasing fat storage instead of fat burning.
When it comes to weight loss, Calorie(Energy) is king , and finding a balance between caloric intake and caloric expenditure is the secret to weight loss success. Each macronutrient contains a caloric value, it is 4 calories per gram of Carbohydrate, 4 calories per gram of Protein, and 9 calories per gram of Fat. When you are trying to lose weight or trying to keep healthy, it is ideal to follow a particular ratio of macronutrients so you can be assured of a balanced consumption of macronutrients, a common ratio for weight loss is 40% Carbs, 30% Protein and 30% Fats. But if this is just too mathematical, one can easily opt for creating a balanced meal when preparing their meals to ensure they consume sufficient ratio of each macronutrient. A balanced meal is made up of half the plate being fruits and leafy vegetables, a quarter of the plate being Proteins, another quarter of the plate being starchy vegetables/grains, and a thumb-size serving of Fats.
When it comes to energy levels, one can eat for performance, meaning that you can consume certain food at certain times based on the tasks you need to perform. All macronutrients are sources of energy, but Carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy for the body because the nutrients are easily converted into Glucose, and Glucose is the energy of life. Carbohydrates are the “go to” source for quick and accessible energy – Think active and alertness. Proteins build and repairs tissues in in the body, it is not easily digestible and therefore will keep you full for longer – Think lean muscles or fatigue recovery. Fats supports cell function and helps with the production of hormones, also Fats takes a while to be digested and therefore are not a quick source of energy- Think balanced emotions.
For practical purposes, if you would like to have sustained energy throughout the day, a good balance and timing of the 3 macronutrients can help you achieve this. Focus on Carbohydrates when you are in need of quick energy e.g starting work or working out. Focus on Proteins when you need to repair your muscle tissues or recover or when you want to feel fuller for longer e.g before sleeping, after exercise, hectic day ahead. Focus on Fats when you need a steady supply of energy throughout the day e.g prolonged time without food, hectic day ahead. We understand that there is more nuance to the intake of macronutrients for sustaining energy levels and that we might be oversimplifying this process, but we feel that this is a good and basic guide for setting out in the right direction for managing your energy levels. Do you need energy right now, grab some Carbohydrates. Do you want to feel full quicker and for longer, add some Proteins. Are you going to need a steady supply of energy throughout the day, call on some healthy Fats.
That’s it for this week, when it comes to food we turn to favour some macronutrients over others and this can lead to overconsumption of certain food which affects our energy levels and negatively impact our weight loss goals. A good way to ensure that we achieve balance when it comes to food and sustained energy levels is to strive for a balanced meal at every meal time.
Until next week, Stay blessed.
Kat & Tshepi
Kat & Tshepi 