This document provides an overview of nutrition principles for achieving fitness goals. It discusses calculating caloric needs based on total daily energy expenditure. It explains the importance of macros like protein, carbs, and fats for building muscle or losing fat. Protein is key for muscle growth, and the document discusses ways to pair plant-based proteins to create complete amino acid profiles. It also notes that flexible dieting can allow people to enjoy favorite foods while still reaching goals when calories are managed properly.
This document provides an overview of nutrition principles for achieving fitness goals. It discusses calculating caloric needs based on total daily energy expenditure. It explains the importance of macros like protein, carbs, and fats for building muscle or losing fat. Protein is key for muscle growth, and the document discusses ways to pair plant-based proteins to create complete amino acid profiles. It also notes that flexible dieting can allow people to enjoy favorite foods while still reaching goals when calories are managed properly.
This document provides an overview of nutrition principles for achieving fitness goals. It discusses calculating caloric needs based on total daily energy expenditure. It explains the importance of macros like protein, carbs, and fats for building muscle or losing fat. Protein is key for muscle growth, and the document discusses ways to pair plant-based proteins to create complete amino acid profiles. It also notes that flexible dieting can allow people to enjoy favorite foods while still reaching goals when calories are managed properly.
This document provides an overview of nutrition principles for achieving fitness goals. It discusses calculating caloric needs based on total daily energy expenditure. It explains the importance of macros like protein, carbs, and fats for building muscle or losing fat. Protein is key for muscle growth, and the document discusses ways to pair plant-based proteins to create complete amino acid profiles. It also notes that flexible dieting can allow people to enjoy favorite foods while still reaching goals when calories are managed properly.
11. Food Data Base ........................................................................................30
Over the last 16 months I’ve changed my life for the better, and have been trying to motivate others and help others in their journey. A major issue is that many people are afraid to truly understand nutrition and acquire long-last- ing skill sets. Our book, “The Monday Method” addresses this problem and shares our simple and effective approach to nutrition.
The dieting world is full of confusing, overly complicated, or ineffective meth-
ods, which can make people hesitant to learn about nutrition. Our book offers an easy way to track macros that is both effective and user-friendly. We aim to help readers take control of their eating habits, remove the confusion associated with strict diets, and instill confidence in their understanding of nutrition.
Readers will learn basic nutrition principles and how to apply them in their daily lives. The book explains how to determine calorie and macronutrient needs, the effects of each macronutrient on the body, and empowers readers with the skills necessary for long-term success. Additionally, readers will de- velop an understanding of how muscles grow and how fat is burned, further solidifying their newfound nutritional expertise. The Monday Method has parterned with experts who have been guiding people in nutrition and training princi- ples for years, but during this time, misinformation from other sources has also been widespread. You might have encountered some of these misconceptions, such as needing to eliminate entire food groups or not eating carbs after 7pm. Some even think excessive training is required to achieve their goals.
Indeed, nutrition can be complex, but if you've navigated through the confusion thus far, "The Monday Meth- od" will be a breath of fresh air.
Eating carbohydrates after 7pm will make you fat
Previously, it was widely thought that our body's capacity to burn energy before sleep was significantly reduced, resulting in increased fat storage and less carbohydrate utilization. This notion was supported by selective data suggesting that insulin sensitivity worsens at night. However, thanks to advancements in nutritional science, we now understand that, in many instances, our metabolic rate during sleep is faster than when we're awake. Although it's true that insulin sensitivity is somewhat lower in the evening, it's only part of the story. Morning sensitivity is actual- ly more favorable, mainly because we have been fasting for hours while asleep. You must eat boring foods to create long lasting change Flexible dieting is gaining popularity as more people become aware of the science behind body composition chang- es. This approach allows individuals to savor their favorite foods while still reaching their long-term objec- tives. We now comprehend the vital role that calories play in determining fat loss or muscle gain, and the impact of macronutrients on body composition. Later in the book, we will explore flexible dieting in more detail. When executed properly, it can harmonize health, progress, and pleasure. The goal is to discover the optimal method for connecting these three essential pillars.
You need a meal plan to progress
While meal plans can offer convenience and guidance, they might actually hinder your progress com- pared to other nutritional approaches. A strict regimen may be necessary occasionally, but it's usually only required for a brief period. By understanding macros and their flexibility, you can strive for a sus- tainable, long-term solution. Moreover, this knowledge can empower you to avoid depending on another "diet" in the future. Total daily energy expenditure Determining your daily caloric needs involves considering more than just the calories burned during exer- cise. Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) represents the number of calories needed to maintain your current weight. TDEE consists of various components, including the thermic effect of food (TEF), non-exer- cise associated thermogenesis (NEAT), exercise activity thermogenesis (EAT), basal metabolic rate (BMR), and resting metabolic rate (RMR).
Comprehending your TDEE allows you to make informed choices about adjusting your calorie intake, ulti- mately facilitating the achievement of your goals. If you deviate significantly from this equilibrium in either direction, your decisions will need to be more drastic. The "calories in vs. calories out" principle is based on your food intake and Total Daily Expenditure (TDEE). The calories from your food support your body's essential functions and energy requirements, including exercise. If you consume more food than needed, the surplus calories are stored in your body as fat or new muscle tissue, leading to weight gain. To build muscle, a positive calorie balance is necessary, meaning you must consume more calories than you expend. Conversely, when you burn more calories than you consume, your body utilizes stored fat for energy, fostering an environment conducive to fat loss. This state is called a calorie deficit. To understand macro tracking, we need to talk about the three main macros: protein, fats, and carbohy- drates. We will also discuss the importance of fiber, its role in the body, and why it's often overlooked. Understanding how these nutrients work in the body is crucial to achieving your goals.
Protein is a crucial macronutrient that supplies the body with amino acids, the building blocks for mus- cle. Amino acids are vital for various body functions and structures, including the brain, nervous sys- tem, blood, skin, and hair. Additionally, protein helps transport oxygen and other nutrients throughout the body. In the absence of glucose or carbohydrates, the body can transform protein into energy via a process called gluconeogenesis. Emphasizing protein is important due to its critical role in a metabol- ic pathway called muscle protein synthesis (MPS). This process generates new muscle proteins, result- ing in the formation of new muscle tissue and ultimately raising the resting metabolic rate over time. The body produces 11 amino acids on its own, but there are 9 essential amino acids that it cannot make. Therefore, you must obtain them through your diet. Consuming different types of protein can provide you with these essential amino acids.
Complete protein Complete protein is a protein source that contains all the amino acids that your body requires in appro- priate amounts. Common sources of complete protein are meat, poultry, and seafood products. Eggs and milk also provide a complete spectrum of protein.
Incomplete protein Some protein sources provide only some of the amino acids you need, not all of them, especially plant- based proteins. These proteins are called incomplete proteins. However, when combined with other incomplete proteins, they can provide all the essential amino acids your body needs. Nuts, seeds, and grains are examples of incomplete proteins.
If you follow a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, it may be difficult to meet your protein targets entirely. Al- though many vegan and vegetarian alternatives are high in protein, achieving a full amino acid profile may be more challenging. To do this, we recommend pairing two incomplete protein sources, as mentioned above, to create the full amino acid profile. Pairing two incomplete proteins is intended to create an efficient spike in Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS), which maximizes your chances of building and/or retaining muscle. The amino acids needed to do so include Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, and Valine.
Combining proteins to create a complete profile may seem complicated, but we have made it easier by list- ing the key essential amino acids found in a variety of incomplete proteins. The general rule is to pair nuts and/or seeds with grains and/or legumes, so you can create a complete protein without needing to consume animal protein.
To enhance the development of muscle protein synthesis (MPS), it's important to distribute your protein intake throughout the day. To achieve this, you should aim to consume 30-40 grams of protein as a macronu- trient at least four times a day. For bigger individuals who want to build more muscle, this feeding frequency can be increased to six times per day. Carbohydrates play a significant role in the body, including supporting biochemical functions and enhancing performance, recovery, and vitality. There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex, which differ in their digestion rates. Complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains and oats, release energy gradually, reducing the likelihood of sudden blood sugar spikes. Simple carbohydrates, like sugar, candies, and fruits, digest quickly, resulting in a rapid energy release that can cause a sharp increase in blood sugar levels, followed by a crash leading to fatigue. However, when used strategically, this sudden spike can offer perfor- mance and recovery advantages.
Dietary fibre plays a critical role in keeping our digestive system healthy and promoting regular bowel move- ments. Additionally, it can help us feel full for longer periods of time, enhance our cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and even aid in regulating hormones. Dietary fats are sometimes viewed negatively, but they serve a vital function in a balanced diet. They supply the body with energy and are essential for creating and regulating cells and hormones. Insufficient fat intake can adversely affect hormones, energy levels, sex drive, and mental clarity. Consuming adequate amounts of fat is also required for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E & K), which promote vision, immune health, and healthy skin. To achieve a sustainable nutrition outcome, you need to prioritize certain elements of the process. The nutri- tional hierarchy provides a foundation for prioritizing what is most important for success in achieving your body composition goals.
Icing on the cake
Further optimising a solid foundation
Macros are queen
Calories are king
The foundation of any plan
Adherence TTaking action is more important than just talking about it. The most difficult part of achieving your goals is being consistent. You need to actually follow a plan to see if it's effective for you.
Calories The calorie balance equation is the key metric that decides whether you gain or lose weight, no matter what your goal is. You cannot cheat this equation. Macros To feel your best and perform well while trying to lose weight, it's important to focus on getting the right balance of macronutrients (macros) - proteins, fats, and carbohydrates - after meeting your
Meal timing If you want to get the most out of your diet, it's important to be specific about what you eat. This can help you improve your digestion, recover faster, and perform better in your physical activities. Supplements While supplements can be helpful, they are not essential for achieving your goals. They may assist you in making progress, but they are not the deciding factor. Attempting to lose fat and build muscle simultaneously may not be the most efficient way to reach your desired results. Although body recomposition can be successful in certain situations, concentrating on one goal at a time usually leads to greater progress. Deciding which objective to prioritize is a personal choice, and we have outlined three distinct pathways you can follow, depending on the aspects you wish to enhance.
To gain optimal progress, we suggest that you prioritize a single goal based on your current body composi- tion. If you want to have more muscle mass, focus on building muscle. On the other hand, if you have a higher body fat percentage, focus on fat loss. For those who are content with their current weight but want to have more muscle mass and less body fat, a body recomposition phase is recommended. This involves eating at maintenance calories while building muscle and burning fat through exercise. How do I choose my activity level? You have 4 choices for your activity level: Sedentary (no or very little exercise), Lightly active (1-3 days of exercise each week), Moderately active (3-5 days of exercise each week), or Very active (more than 5 days of exercise each week). It's important to choose the right one based on how intense your training is, and to know that training and exercise are not the same thing.
I’m not progressing, what should I do?
BYou know that counting calories and macronutrients is important for reaching your goals, but online calculators can only give you an estimate. If you're trying to lose weight and haven't seen results yet, try eating 10% fewer calories. If you're trying to build muscle and haven't seen results yet, try eating 10% more calories. If you're still not seeing results, it may be best to create a custom plan to reach your goals. Ensure profile is set to metric or imperial measurements
Ensure you have ‘exercise calories’ turned off
Ensure you are not tracking steps via MyFitnessPal or conrometer
In this lesson, we will learn how to use MyFitnessPal's/cronometer's search function to find the nutritional information for carrots, almonds, and apples. Although the search bar in MyFitnessPal is frequently used, it may not always give accurate infor- mation. We will explore how to properly use the search function and check the reliability of the nutritional values provided. This knowledge will help us make better choices when tracking our food intake and working towards our nutrition goals. In this lesson, we will compare the macronutrient values obtained from the previous lesson's search with a national database of nutritional information to assess their accuracy. By utilizing this database, you can obtain more precise and reliable information regarding the caloric and macronutrient content of the whole foods you consume. In this lesson, you will learn the basic skills necessary to track your food accurately. You will gain an understanding of how to calculate calories not only from macros but also how to convert them from kilojoules. This will enable you to have a more comprehensive view of the energy content of the food you consume and make more informed decisions about your diet. In the previous lesson, you learned that relying solely on the search function in your tracking app may not be accurate. This lesson will teach you how to ensure the accuracy of all the foods you track by adding your own foods with accurate calorie and macro information, using your tracking app of choice. Calories and macros are like a budget that you can use to achieve your nutritional goals. In this lesson, we dive deeper into the importance of flexibility in managing your calorie and macro intake. Compesnate for small over-feeds throughout the week, and learn the strategies for making adjustments to your daily intake in order to maintain your overall progress. By understanding how to navigate these challenges, you can maintain your long-term nutritional goals results. In this lesson, you'll learn how to build a meal that fits your target macros accurately. Creating replacement meals can be tricky, but we'll guide you through the process step by step. This method can be applied to your entire day's intake, helping you stay on track with your nutritional goals Here we teach you the importance of tracking your food intake even when you're eating out or deviating from your plan. It's better to make an estimate of the calories you consume than to not track anything at all. We will show you how to make educat- ed guesses about the nutritional content of the food you eat in these situations, making it easier to stay on track towards your nutritional goals. Next, we will discuss how alcohol can affect your progress and how to track its calories accurately. Alcohol can hinder your progress towards your goals, but by following our tips, you can manage and track the calories consumed while drinking. We will guide you through the process step-by-step, so you can make informed choices and stay on track with your nutritional goals. Alcohol can sometimes prevent people from achieving their desired body shape. But, you can manage and track the calories that come with alcohol consumption. You don't have to limit yourself to achieve your nutrition- al goals. In this lesson, we provide a cheat sheet to help you estimate the calorie intake of different types of alcoholic beverages. Subtract the macros per 1 standard drink from the cheat sheet to keep track of your calorie intake. This builds on the skills you learned in lesson 9. Flexible dieting is a popular nutrition approach that aims to create a sustainable and enjoyable eating experience while fostering long-lasting change. It enables individuals to enjoy their favorite foods and addresses the main issue with most "diets": the feeling of constant restriction.
Despite its growing popularity, flexible dieting often receives criticism in the nutrition and health industry. The nega- tive perception is somewhat justified, and we understand the reasons behind it.
Our approach to flexible dieting is different. We believe that a generally healthy body inside is reflected in its exter- nal appearance. We see no reason why one cannot enjoy a flexible lifestyle while promoting a healthy environment for overall vitality. The key is to prioritize both health and enjoyment equally. By including foods that support your health and incorporating ample amounts of foods you enjoy, you can maintain the diet long term and achieve optimal progress.
The process of incorporating healthy and enjoyable foods may vary between individuals. However, our goal is to develop a tailored process that allows you to enhance your nutritional compliance, savor life's finer aspects, and progress at an unprecedented rate, all while addressing your health's non-negotiables.
Flexible dieting, unlike many diets that necessitate social isolation or automatic refusal when invited to dinner or social events, allows individuals to maintain a sense of normalcy through recurring, inevitable, and enjoyable as- pects of life. When executed well, flexible dieting empowers individuals to appreciate food and eliminate the anxiety associated with "dieting." The initial stages of macro tracking can be confusing and daunting for beginners. The industry often por- trays it as straightforward, but in reality, it can be overwhelming. We recognize that embracing a flexible dieting lifestyle may present challenges, and one common issue we encounter is the uncertainty about which foods contain the appropriate amounts of each macronutrient. At The Monday Method, we are dedicated to equipping you with the knowledge required to reach your goals. "The Monday Method" represents a part of our commitment to delivering the most recent and valuable information to assist you in making progress. We don't want you to simply follow a diet plan blindly; we want you to genuinely comprehend the principles behind it. By providing you with the basics, we believe you'll be better prepared to make informed decisions about your nutrition. Our aspiration is that this e-book will motivate you to take control of your health and set the stage for a brighter, healthier future.
