The macro nutrient ratio: key to losing fat and adding muscle

Proteins, Carbohydrates and Fats are the macro nutrients and their optimal combination helps a lot in improving the muscle to fat ratio in your body.

Your every meal should be planned in such a way that it contains a lean protein, a starchy carbohydrate and a fibrous carbohydrate. Such a combination of protein and fiber lowers the pace of carbohydrate digestion, resulting in consistent energy levels and a sustained supply of nutrients to your body for energy, growth and maintenance. You also tend to eat lesser, in terms of quantity.

The idea that certain types of foods should not be consumed together in combination is just a myth. However, the contrary is true – certain foods, when taken together, can enhance each other’s utilization by the body’s digestive and absorptive processes.

Calorie balance is the most critical consideration when it comes to losing fat but it is not as simple as ‘calorie from anything is just a calorie’. There are other important variables in effective fat loss like the thermic effect of food, the effect of food on hormones and blood sugar levels and finally the macro nutrient ratio of each meal.

Therefore it is important that you calculate your calorie requirement first, and then apportion them into the proper ratios of protein, carbohydrate and fat. And always keep in mind the golden rule that proteins and carbohydrates should be eaten together.

A word of advice – there is NO single magic ratio is ‘the best’ and no single ratio will work for everyone all of the time. Many diet programs claim to offer the ‘perfect’ or ‘magical’ ratio which is the end-all answer to all body fat issues. This is the biggest con ever perpetrated in the annals of fitness history.

Common sense says that nutritional individuality will differ from person to person. Therefore, the macro nutrient ratios must be customized for each person - but there is a sensible point or marker where everyone can start. Going forward, each one should measure the progress and tweak the ratio accordingly.

The starting marker recommended is 55% carbohydrates, 30% proteins and 15% fat of the total calories required by your body. Total calorie requirement = BMR + Activity Induced Requirement (walking, exercising, working etc. Each activity burns a specific amount of calories per hour)

To know more about the body’s daily calories requirement, you can read my posting titled “Understanding the Basal Metabolic Rate : BMR”