In order to get rid of excess weight and be physically fit, you need not only exercise but also watch the food you eat. The optimal ratio of macronutrients will help you reach a healthy weight and be perfectly fit.
People have different goals when working on their weight. Some of them want to augment muscle mass; others try to lose extra kilos, while the rest is trying to come up with a perfect ratio of macronutrients that can help them have a healthy weight. Therefore, it is recommended to create your own ratio of macronutrients to fit your own goals when trying to get an ideal body. There are three main factors that can assist you to begin your journey of losing weight easier and reach the best possible results.
#1 Your Fitness Goals
First of all, you need to understand your goal. Do you want to get rid of fat or build muscle mass? Concentrate on one goal at a time and hold on to it. If you want to do both, none of the processes will be achieved in full. For example, high amounts of carbohydrate increase your lean body mass, while the low amounts lead to faster weight loss.
If you wish to build your muscle and lose weight simultaneously, try carb-cycling when you divide your week into three kinds of days: no carb days, low-carb and high-carb days. This alternation will help you gradually build muscle mass and burn unwanted fat. Another option is intermittent fasting, which also assists in reaching both goals. However, these two methods work differently for everybody, and you still need to follow your own ratio of macros to achieve better results.
If you follow the macronutrient ratio that is the most optimal for you, you will be able to get a healthy weight and be in a good physical shape.
Macronutrient Ratios
1. Higher-carb for bodybuilding:
- 15-25% fat
- 25-35% protein
- 40-60% carb
2. Moderate-carb for keeping a good body shape:
- 25-35% fat
- 25-35% protein
- 30-50% carb
3. Lower-carb for fat loss:
- 10-30% carb
- 30-40% fat
- 40-50% protein
As you can see, the level of fat doesn’t go below 15% in any of the macronutrient ratios. If you get less than that the normal levels of hormones can be disrupted, which can have negative effects on metabolism, mood, reproduction, and other body functions driven by hormones. The absorption of fat-soluble vitamins can also be impaired. In addition, low intake of fat can lead to breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer.
However, it doesn’t mean that you have to eat any foods rich in fat. It is necessary to give preference to healthy sources of fat, like egg yolks, avocados, nuts, olives, different types of fish, soybeans, etc.
#2 Your Body Type
Once you understand your main fitness goal, it is important to determine your body type to know how well you can tolerate carbs.
There are three body types: ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. Determining which of the three types you belong to has a direct impact on the planning of physical exercises and nutrition in order to achieve the best results in bodybuilding.
Many people usually are a combination of “ecto/meso” or “endo/meso.” After you determine what category you fit in best, you can establish your own nutritional benchmark.
- Ectomorph
An ectomorph is characterized by a thin and slender body. They have a small chest and shoulders, a delicate bone structure, and a fast metabolism. Ectomorphs have difficulties with gaining weight. On the other side, it is easy for them to be in a good physical shape. They require bigger amounts of carbohydrates and higher calorie intake.
Depending on what the main fitness goal is, ectomorphs should take more carbohydrates, between 30-60% of total calories. For example, ratios with higher amounts of carbohydrates increase mass gain, while ratios with lower amounts of carbohydrates help you lose fat much faster.
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Mesomorph
Mesomorphs have athletic hard-body types, broad shoulders, and a dense structure of bones. They tend to be muscular. Mesomorphs can easily gain muscle mass and burn fat faster than endomorphs.
Due to the fact that mesomorphs store muscle glycogen, they require moderate levels of carbohydrates, between 20-50% of total calorie intake. If you want to gain weight, your intake of calories and carbs should be very high. If your objective is to get rid of fat, your intake of carbs should be 20-30%.
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Endomorph
Endomorphs have a broad body of a round shape. They are usually small, a little plump, and have short arms and legs. Endomorphs usually have strong legs, which helps them achieve good results in lower-body exercises.
Endomorphs can easily gain muscle mass, but they also tend to store fat. Higher intakes of carbs will make it difficult for them to lose excess weight or build a good physical shape. Thus endomorphs should stick to lower amounts of carbs, between 10-40% of total calories. If you want to lose fat, your intake of carbs should be between 10-20%. If your goal is mass gain, this amount should be between 30-40%.
#3 Gender
Gender is not as important as your fitness goals or your body type in achieving a healthy weight and fitness growth. However, you should keep it in mind during training to reach the best possible results.
Usually, it is much easier for women to burn fat and less difficult to get rid of glycogen in muscles. Thus, they need lower amounts of carbs than men.
However, this doesn’t mean that women should always have a lower intake of carbs than men. An active woman with an ectomorphic body type would require a higher amount of carbs than a sedentary man with an endomorphic body type.
A man with a mesomorphic body type, who tries to get in a good physical shape, requires a larger amount of carbs, in the range of 40%. But, a woman of the same body type and with the same goal requires about 30% of carbs.
Whether you’re a man or a woman, you should increase your intake of carbs if you feel exhausted after your training.
#4 Macros Are Just One Step on the Way to Your Fitness Growth
When you’re trying to get a healthy weight and be physically fit, do not just concentrate on macronutrient ratios. You also need to pay attention to other factors that can help you in reaching your best results.
Calorie intake is one of such factors. Even if you follow the perfect macronutrient ratio, it will prove to be ineffective if a number of calories you take are too low or too high. Another factor is taking your training seriously. Otherwise, you won’t be able to build a muscular body.
Finding your ideal macronutrient ratio and physical exercise plan will assist you to achieve your fitness goals and be perfectly fit.