The way we gain or lose weight is through calorie balance. For most people gaining weight is easier than losing weight because gaining doesn’t require you to be mindful of your hunger and fullness cues and caters to your impulsive response to stress and cravings.
An abridged method for weight loss or gain
-Calories for weightloss multiply 8 x body weight in lb.
-Calories for weight gain multiply 12 x body weight in lb.
The way I recommend to find the sweet spot for weight gain or lose is to
Stabilize calories intake with current eating habits
Based off assessments adjust calories and macro nutrients profile
All Calories are Comprised of 3 Marco Nutrients
Fat, Carbohydrates and Protein
Everyone must know. There are…
9 Calories per gram of fat
4 Calories per gram of protein
4 calories per gram of carbohydrates
When you are trying to gain or lose weight pay only attention to…
-Total calories per serving
-Fat
-Carbohydrates
-Protein
Peanuts @ 1oz = 170 calories. The majority of the calories are coming from Fat
When you choose foods that are nutrient dense it is makes it easy to be satiated.
Notice how balanced the Marco nutrient profile is
When you choose foods that are calorie dense it is makes it easy to eat a surplus of food because it’s much less volume
Notice how much calories are coming from carbs and fat
Key Takeaways
- The volume of food
- Average calories per ounce
- The Marco nutrient balance
Closing Thoughts
Knowing the facts for weight gain or loss doesn’t really matter unless you have built a foundation of food preparation and food ingestion consistency. What this means is having a steady calorie intake. This, for most people, requires planning your meals in advance down to the portion sizes, reflecting on a weekly basis on things that prevented compliance and strategizing for the upcoming week to move the success needle closer to or above 90%. When you are trying to lose weight, you want to basis your food intake with the nutrient dense choices. This will keep you satiated. If you are looking to gain weight choosing calorie dense foods could be a good strategy.