Are Abs Really Made in the Kitchen?

               For decades now, research has provided that a healthy lifestyle is most impacted by not just one but two key factors: a consistent exercise regimen AND a nutritious diet.^1-3 Although that truth is now accepted by the general population, a lesser understood topic is how nutrition [and the different factors it can be broken down to] can best augment an exercise regimen to create said healthy lifestyle. Well that’s exactly what I’m here to address – how nutrition can impact not only the ability to obtain a great physique but also to provide for optimal functioning throughout everyday life. There are a few key factors I’ll be focusing on for this post: 1. Macronutrient breakdown 2. Quality and quantity 3. Exercise and food intake 4. Healthy progress 5. What is a good diet? Let’s get started…

1.      Macronutrient breakdown

All food is made up of both micronutrients and macronutrients. While micronutrients refer to the vitamins and minerals we need on a daily basis for prime functioning, calories (otherwise known as small units of heat energy) are actually obtained from macronutrients in the form of proteins, carbohydrates, and fat. One gram of fat is equal to 9 calories while one gram of both carbs and protein is each equal to 4 calories.^1-3 According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) the average male consumes ~2,500 calories per day while the average female consumes ~1,800 calories per day⁴; however the macronutrient breakdown of those calories into carbs, protein, and fat will be different for each person based on the food consumed. 

Until recently, the vast of majority of diets included a macro breakdown high in both carbs and fat while less emphasis was placed on protein but looking into current research articles (not to mention social media fitness posts), it has become clear that the macronutrient protein needs much more emphasis in order to allow for muscle regeneration and an associated increase in metabolism. What then would be considered a proper macronutrient breakdown to best supplement a regular exercise regimen? The two most commonly cited “best” breakdowns were:  40% carbs/40% protein/20% fat and 40% carbs/30% protein/ 30% fat^2.3, BUT it is important to remember those numbers are just starting points because EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. Play around with it – maybe your body can’t process carbs as well as others so you want to decrease the amount of carbs and get more calories from protein and fat. Go for it – without going to extremes. Personally I try to adhere to a 40/40/20 breakdown because that’s what my body has responded best to.

2.      Quality and quantity

               Equally if not more important to the breakdown of your macros is the quantity of food eaten. Now I already referred to the average amount of calories consumed per day, but how many of the calories do we burn on average? The National Institute of Health (NIH) has estimated that the average female burns ~1,800 calories per day while the average male burns ~2,200-2400 calories per day based on our basal metabolic rate (determined by gender, age, and height)⁵. Those numbers are then increased based on the amount of activity and exercise included in our daily regimen to determine you total daily energy expenditure. Take me for example, on a typical day I burn about 2,200 calories total – ~1,700 through metabolism and approximately ~500 through my activity level and workouts. Therefore based on the First Law of Thermodynamics*, I would have to consume 2,200 calories to reach a level of maintenance in which my weight would go neither up nor down. Consuming less than 2,200 calories would result in a weight loss while consuming greater than 2,200 calories would result in a weight gain.

*The First Law of Thermodynamics is also known as the Law of Conservation of Energy and states that “energy cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system.”^2,3,6 Granted I had to take Physics multiple times to get into graduate school [3 to be exact], but this was always one concept that stuck with me due to it’s correlation to diet and exercise. Think of it this way: this principle is trying to tell us that within an isolated system [meaning our body] energy in = energy out; in other words, calories in = calories out. The key point here is that a healthy diet should not focus on quality over quantity, but rather on quality AND quantity.

               3. Exercise and food intake

               So we’ve learned about macro breakdowns and laws of thermodynamics… now let’s apply calories to exercise and weight loss. On average, a low intensity work out session (max heart rate at ~60%) will burn between 200-300 calories per hour while a high intensity workout session (max heart rate at ~80%) will typically burn 400-600 calories per session. That seems like a lot of calories and in all actuality it is UNTIL you stop and realize that 400 calories is also the approximate equivalent to just one of the four slices of sausage and pepperoni pizza you ate later that night because you were starving and too tired to make dinner. Main point here: you CAN’T out-train a bad diet. It’s very common (and honestly easier) for us to overestimate the amount of calories burned while underestimating the amount of calories consumed because that situation fits our angle. But at the end of the day it all goes back to numbers – calories in vs. calories out.

               Ok time to look at a bigger picture: how many calories equals one pound. As previously mentioned, an average hour long workout can burn anywhere from 200-600 calories based on intensity, and it takes a total of 3,500 calories to burn one full pound.^1-3 That’s A LOT of calories, and it requires a lot of effort and discipline to burn them; unfortunately, it does not require nearly as much effort to consume them. Take this scenario for example: you’ve determined your total daily energy expenditure is an average of 2,500 calories*, and you’ve worked hard all week to meet your fitness goals. After six days of adhering to a 500 calorie deficit, your total deficit for the week is at 3,000 calories (or just under one pound). Great job to you! BUT that calorie deficit can be partially or wholly wiped out with one trip to the movies, and then you’re back to square one. Second main point of this section: you STILL CAN’T out-train a bad diet. Now don’t get me wrong – I love going to the movies, I still eat pizza, and I have chocolate on nearly a daily basis. It’s all about balance and being conscious of the food and portion sizes you’re eating, especially in relation to the amount of activity and exercise you partake in on a regular basis.

*QUESTIONS ABOUT DETERMINING YOUR BASAL METABOLIC RATE, TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE, SUGGESTED MACRO BREAKDOWN, OR A PROPER CALORIE DEFICIT? COMMENT OR MESSAGE ME!

4.      Healthy progress

In light of the fact that 3,500 calories are only equal to one pound, what is considered to be a healthy calorie deficit to reach weight loss and fitness goals? Research shows that in order to not affect basal metabolic rate, a healthy calorie deficit should range anywhere between 15-30% of total calories burned^2,3. We’re going back to me as an example. Again my average total daily energy expenditure is ~2,200 calories, so if my fitness goals included weight loss, a healthy deficit for me would be between 330-660 calories (making my daily calorie goal: 1,540-1,870 calories). Consuming a higher number of calories than 1,870 may not have any negative effects; it would just slow down my progress. However if I were to consume fewer than 1,540 calories, my metabolism could be negatively impacted. Why? Because our bodies become used to functioning off a lower number of calories, so our metabolism slows down in response to the amount fuel we’re providing. Sure that metabolic damage that can occur from being in to severe a deficit (or too long of one) can potentially be reversed^2-3, but why take the risk of that damage happening in the first place? The process takes times. Understand that, accept that, and start moving towards your goals. Overall to maintain healthy progress without running all the numbers, shoot to lose ~1-2 pounds per week.

5.      What is the best diet?

Maybe it’s keto, maybe it’s paleo, maybe it’s the Mediterranean diet… who really knows? Quite frankly it’s irrelevant because as previously mentioned WE’RE ALL DIFFERENT. Sure we all have the same general physiological makeup, requiring optimal amounts of both micro and macronutrients. But the diet each of us adheres to in order to obtain that nutrition can absolutely be different. Your individual, subjective likes and dislikes will help determine the types of nutritional habits you are most likely to adhere to. A better question for this topic would be what’s the best diet FOR YOU? Personally I believe that best diet is the series of nutritional habits that not only meets your micro/macro goals but can overall become your lifestyle. I meet my nutritional goals as best I can, drink plenty of water (half to your full bodyweight in ounces), and most importantly I never feel deprived and love what I eat – therefore I never feel like I’m on a diet. My hope is at some point that will become your reality too!

               Overall I hope this article helped to answer some questions you may have about how a nutritious diet correlates to exercise and fitness goals. Now let’s tackle the question I posed at the beginning of this article. Are abs really made in the kitchen? Literally… obviously not, so don’t go looking. Figuratively speaking, you bet they are!

Thanks for reading everyone. And don’t forget to check out our latest Warrior Fit Recipe of the Week!

~Desi

Warrior Fit – Warrior Ready – Warrior Strong

Sources used:

1.     Hatfield PhD, F.C. (2016). Fitness: The Complete Guide. Official Text for ISSA’s Certified Fitness Trainer Course. 9^th Edition. Carpinteria, California. International Sports and Sciences Association.

2.     Venuto, T. (2012). Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. New York: Harmony Books.

3.     Matthews, M. (2014). Bigger, Leaner, Stronger. 2^nd Edition. Florida. Oculus Publishers, Inc.

4.     National Academy of Sciences. (1992). Calories, Energy Balances, and Chronic Disease. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK235013/

5.     National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. (13 February 2013). Balance Food and Activity. National Institute of Health. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/healthy-weight-basics/balance.htm

6.     Lumen Learning. (2017). The Three Laws of Thermodynamics. Lumen Candela. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-chemistry/chapter/the-laws-of-thermodynamics/