This is always a touchy subject. And it IS very individual, but in almost every industry we have templates, or wireframes, or guidelines from which we create more personalized plans or programs. Think about physical therapy (because that’s Ed’s industry) – when he would see an ACL reconstruction, he had protocols he followed that advanced the patient every few weeks. In finance, when new managers meet with potential clients, they have a template they go through to ask questions that fill in their template and help create a plan. That’s what a range of macronutrients does for a diet. It establishes “guidelines”.
Once you understand how macronutrient quantities build your diet, you’ll know how to adjust them over time. You’ll also know how to adjust them for increased or decreased activity. It’s quite freeing!
Remember, our three macronutrients are protein, carbohydrate and fat. The quantities of these three “macros” yield our total calories for the day.
When you first start tracking macros it can be overwhelming. But trust me, it’s an investment that pays huge dividends once you get it. You’ll no longer wonder why you feel weak (protein too low), or why you feel “puffy” (carbohydrate too high), or why you have brain fog (carbohydrate too high and/or fat too low). Knowing these numbers and how they fit into YOUR best diet creates an element of freedom and eliminates the wondering if what you’re doing is right.
Understanding how much of each macronutrient you need to eat per day is also elevating your game! You can manage your macros to help get stronger, lose or gain weight, fuel for an event or even a big project in your yard.
It’s not a meat-head, bodybuilder’s thing. It’s a way to measure, and manage your diet. Yes, food should be enjoyable! No, we shouldn’t have to “count it”. Our grandparents sure as heck didn’t! But things were simpler then and they innately knew how to do it. AND they were more active – so they had a little wiggle room. We, on the other hand, have a sedentary society and are being sold “health food” at every corner, versus just eating whole food and solving this societal problem.
So, here we go!
The image below depicts some well researched ranges for protein, carbohydrate and fat. These are RANGES…and not set in stone. But for those of us over 55, we have some additional needs as it relates to protein and fat, specifically. Our protein and fat needs are a little higher than they may have been when we were younger. Carbohydrate is very individual and depends on a lot of factors from health to activity level to simple tolerance.
Listed are formulas in both pounds and kilograms. It requires a little math, maybe a calculator, but you can do it!
You absolutely don’t have to count macros. Trust me, the folks in the photos below weren’t counting macros. But they were eating more whole and wholesome foods, more regularly. They weren’t supplementing (much). They were moving more. Things were different. Because they were different, we may have to work a little harder to get the same results they had “back then”…a mere 60 years ago. Both of these images were from the ’60’s.
One of the things you’ll notice in both of these pictures is that people were generally leaner. This is not poking at anyone – it’s just a fact. Counting macros is one way (not the only way) to get a handle on your body weight. As Ed said in our recent Health Challenge seminar: if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. And if it’s out of control – it’s time to manage it.
One of the things you’ll notice in both of these pictures is that people were generally leaner. This is not poking at anyone – it’s just a fact. Counting macros is one way to get a handle on your body weight.
As Ed said in our recent Health Challenge seminar:
If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.
And if it’s out of control – it’s time to manage it.
Our “portion size” image is how we used to be able to measure things without math…and it still works! We do recommend seniors get more protein than the 3 ounce palm sized portion (almost one and a half times that at a minimum per meal) – but this guide provides a nice visual for estimating portion size.
Right away you can see we are a “super-sized” society and we need to get a handle on it .
Closing up here, there are a lot of ways to “measure” how much food you need. Like I mentioned earlier – there are a ton of apps. There are companies that do in person or app-based weight loss like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and Noom…so many programs.
My favorite would be grab with a friend with the same goal and support each other and figure it out. Meal prep together. Get your adult kids on board. Cook for your parents…whatever strikes you as possible – do it!
Yes, this may be a struggle, but taking control of your diet when you’re overweight, or when you have developed a condition or disease that may have resulted from your lifestyle, or even if you are simply trying to get stronger and it’s not going the way you want it to…is key! Try reining in your diet. At least you know there are no side effects! 😂