How can busy mamas eat a healthy, balanced diet?
Despite all the diets on the market telling women what to eat, or not eat, most women know that to lose weight all they ultimately need to do is eat a balanced diet. There’s just one problem, no one has taught you what exactly “balanced” means!
My client, Rebekah, had the exact same problem. After having two kids Rebekah was overweight, uncomfortable in her skin and frustrated with herself for letting it get that bad.
So she did what had worked pre-kids. She opened up MyFitnessPal and entered her height (5’1”) her weight 180+ pounds and her age (30) and waited for it to tell her how many calories she could eat a day. It told her she needed to eat 1,200 calories a day, so she set to work tracking calories and trying her best to lose weight. Also, quick side note, 1,200 calories is what a toddler should eat in a day, not a grown woman.
Anyway, for the first year, she saw results. But then things started to slow down. It was getting harder and harder to lose weight even though she was still eating 1,200 calories and working out.
She wasn’t sure how to keep getting the results she wanted. She knew she couldn’t eat any less, she was already starving! And between work and kids, she couldn’t add more workouts to her day. She was stuck.
What Rebekah didn’t understand was that not all calories are created equally. She was just looking to hit a calorie goal instead of optimizing the 3 macronutrients to lose weight, feel full and have energy.
Macro tracking teaches you how to eat a balanced diet so that you can optimize your food to reach your goals without feeling hungry or run down like low-calorie diets.
Three years ago, Rebekah joined the Macros Made Easy program where she learned about macronutrients. She’s no longer eating 1200 calories. Her minimum calories is 1700 when she’s looking to lose weight and she gets to eat up to 2,000 calories when she’s looking to maintain her weight or add muscle mass.
I want this for you too! I want to teach you about the three macronutrients so that you can begin creating a more balanced diet too!
Why macros are important for a balanced diet
Calorie counting is a great start if you’re looking to lose weight, but just like Rebekah found, it doesn’t work long-term. Because 100 calories of Oreos isn’t going to do the same thing for your body as 100 calories of chicken breast.
If you want to optimize your nutrition and eat a balanced diet, then you need to go beyond basic calories and learn about macronutrients.
Macronutrients make up all food. The three macronutrients (often referred to as macros) are proteins, fats and carbs.
Each macro performs a different function in the body, which is why it’s important to get the right balance of them. And each macro has a different caloric value.
1 gram of protein = 4 calories
1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories
1 gram of fat = 9 calories
If you’re simply calorie counting, you might be getting the right number of calories but you might be lacking in one macro, which could throw off your body’s ability to perform necessary tasks.
To eat a balanced diet you need to understand what each of the macronutrients are and how much to eat of each.
I’m going to try and give some general ranges for you to hit, but keep in mind that you’re not general. You are not basic. You are not a square. You are a star! And stars need information that is customized to their needs!
This is why I make individual, custom macro numbers a huge part of my Macros Made Easy Program! I create custom macros for each client so that she can hit her goals and live her best life! So please, don’t use general numbers and expect to see amazing results! Your needs might be different than what I recommend here.
If you want custom macro numbers, let’s chat!
Protein
Protein is one of the most important macros to hit because protein is the building block of our cells. But it’s also the macro most people struggle with the most.
I have literally never had a client come to me and tell me that they lost control last weekend and ate an entire rotisserie chicken. Protein is not really a craveable thing! But if we want to live healthy lives we have to learn to love protein!
Beyond weight loss, protein contributes to a lot of important functions.
It’s used to build and repair almost every tissue in our bodies, including our
muscles and bones. It can even help with bone density as we age.
It helps improve hair, skin and fingernails.
It supports the immune system and helps ward off illness.
I tell my clients to aim for .8-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs, you should aim for 120-150 grams of protein a day.
That being said, if you’re not eating that much protein right now, I don’t want you to make a huge jump to reach those numbers! If you’re eating 70 grams of protein, that’s great! Slowly work your way up to that 120-150! If you try to jump from 70 to 150, you’re going to be miserable and you’re going to hate me. And I don’t want either of those things for you!
Instead, try upping your protein by 5-10 grams and get used to eating that much, then add more! I love this method because it usually just means adding a little more protein to your diet vs. a huge jump! There are more than 10 grams of protein in a serving of Greek yogurt!
You can do that, right? One yogurt? Or an extra piece of meat on your deli sandwich. Upping your protein doesn’t have to be complicated or hard! When you think of adding protein in smaller sizes it makes it so much more doable!
Fat
Fat is a very misunderstood macro. For a long time, we were taught that fats make you fat. But that’s not necessarily true! Fat plays a vital role in the body and is especially important for women because it is responsible for hormone levels.
When women cut out too much fat it messes with more than just their weight. It can cause fatigue and brain fog. Plus it can prevent your body from absorbing necessary vitamins.
I like to have my clients eat a minimum of 50 grams of fat. Anything below that and it can mess with hormones.
I also encourage my clients to get fat from natural sources like nuts, seeds, avocados, butter etc. And I recommend an Omega-3 supplement because those are especially good for memory and brain health and our body can’t make omega-3s, so a supplement can help a lot.
That being said, I don’t discourage my clients from enjoying fats found in treats! Food can and should be fun! So a cookie or brownie that’s higher in fat shouldn’t be avoided, just planned for! When you get out of the good vs bad; can vs can’t mindset and learn to enjoy food in moderation it makes it easier to have a diet that is fun and healthy.
Carbs
Finally, my favorite macro to talk about, carbs! As a former paleo, crossfit junkie, I used to think carbs were the devil. It felt like their whole purpose was to taunt me and make me fat - not a great mindset or attitude to have about food.
The truth is that carbs are essential for life! They’re the body’s first source of energy and not at all evil. Bahaha!
I don’t give my clients carb ranges to stick to because it’s so individualized, but I want you to understand that you can probably eat a lot more carbs than you think!
I’m not saying stuff your face with french fries, pasta and Oreos every day. But carbs will give you energy so don’t avoid them!
Carbs are also where we get fiber from, so if you’re struggling with digestion or being “regular” then it might be because you’re not getting enough carbs! Foods like lentils, beans, leafy greens, and even fiber-enriched foods can keep your body happy! I tell my clients to aim for 20-30 grams of fiber a day.
Mama, I hope that understanding the three macronutrients and how they work will help you improve your health. As women, we’ve been fed so many lies about food and exercise that it’s kept us stuck and uncomfortable for far too long. I want to help empower as many mamas as I can with real nutritional knowledge so that they don’t have to be stuck anymore.
If you want to learn how to eat a balanced diet and have it tailored to your needs (how much you exercise, what foods you like or don’t like) then let’s chat! Schedule a Healthy Mama Blueprint call and we’ll figure out the best path for you!
