Let Me Back Up a Second... (Content Post)

As I write my first handful of posts, it occurred to me that the concept of counting macros might be elusive and confusing.

Let me try to clear it up a bit.

Counting your macros is a way to have flexible food intake. (You'll notice I'm trying to use "food intake" over "diet" since even though I'm talking about a diet of food, the word has been stigmatized to mean "deprivation.")

When I first met with Lida (my amazing nutritionist that everyone should get to know! Follow her on Instagram: @healthfulblisslife), she told me to approach the concept of counting macros like having a daily amount of money in the bank you needed to spend. It doesn't matter how you spend them (well, it does, but let me get to that in a minute), just that you spend the money every day and don't overdraw.

For someone who constantly felt like they were missing out on awesome food whenever I was trying to lose weight, this was a game changer for me. I could have whatever I wanted, so long as I budgeted for it.

For me, this made snacks that I would normally miss okay to pass up on. It's not that I couldn't have them, it's not that I was choosing not to, because the price tag wasn't worth purchasing.

When I first started counting macros, I had to do a metabolic reset. My poor metabolism was fried from years of food abuse.

I started with a daily allowance of 120 grams of carbs, 60 grams of fats, and 120 grams in protein.

Every calorie is constructed from 1 of 3 things: protein, carbs, or fat. (This means there is no such thing as zero carb vodka! If it has calories, it's got carbs, protein, or fat. Alcohol is processed like a carb.)

While I worked on correcting my metabolism, I started losing some weight as we started adding food. Before my cut, I was eating 200 grams of carbs a day, 60 grams of fat, and 130 grams of protein. It was delightful. I'd never eaten so much food on a daily basis consistently.

Flexible dieting (counting macros) means you get to choose what you eat so long as you are hitting your numbers every day.

Now, earlier I said it doesn't matter how you spend your numbers. Let me clarify.
2 Oreo cookies have 21 grams of carbs, 7 grams of fat, and 1 gram of protein.

Your body will process this the same way it would process 3/4 cup of sweet potatoes made with 1/2 tablespoon of avocado oil.

But obviously, the sweet potatoes are going to be a lot more filling. As Lida told me, there is a difference between health and aesthetic. Aesthetically, you could eat garbage all day every day, and as long as you were hitting your numbers, you would be making progress.

From a health standpoint, you would not be eating a healthy diet, because you'd be achieving those numbers by only taking in junk. All things in moderation. On some days, I really want those Oreo's. And I'mma eat 'em. But as I've made my way down this journey, I've found that eating wholesome healthy foods is much more rewarding in the long run.

It really is true, we are what we eat. Counting macros has helped me shift my mindset into "buying" (both literally and metaphorically) foods that are nourishing and awesome.


But let's be real, Halo brand ice cream is also a staple in my freezer. Find your balance. You never need to deprive yourself of foods you really love. And the foods that just don't fit your numbers? There are healthier ways to make them. I promise!

Questions

For anyone reading this, I'd also love to open up a dialogue! If you have specific questions, leave them in the comments and I'd be more than happy to answer!

Peach Basil Sorbet (Recipe Post)

This is another sweet tooth treat that is really satisfying.

I originally stole this recipe from Pinterest, and added the basil because I love herbs and spices (especially with spring/summer coming so soon).

Original recipe can be found here: Instant Dairy Free Peach Ice Cream

However, I'm currently in my "cut" phase, so I'm trying to make more with less. Here is my version of this recipe:

1 bag of frozen peach slices (about 40 grams of carbs)
1/4 cup* of baking Stevia (or, if you're just buying packets, I'd imagine a couple packets would do the trick)
1 teaspoon* of Gourmet Garden's Basil Paste (I didn't really measure this, it was more just a healthy "plop" into the food processor)
1 cup of Silk Cashew Milk (2 grams of fat)

Throw all of it into a food processor until texture is similar to soft serve yogurt or sorbet.
4 servings (161 grams per serving)
10g of carbs
.5g of fat


*You'll notice there isn't a grams measurement next to the Stevia and basil paste. Since they're zero calorie, I'm not concerned with measuring it on a food scale. And you may want to add more or less depending on your own sweet tooth.*

Fat Free Fage Yogart Recipe Ideas (Recipe and Content Post)

I've found that Fage non-fat Greek yogart is a versatile food that can be used to make items both savory and sweet.

For the sweet side, here are some of my favorites:

1/2 cup (113 grams) of Fage non-fat Greek yogart (11p 4.5c 0f)
1 tablespoon (15 grams) of Speculoo's cookie butter with cocoa swirl (1p 8c 6f)

Mix together and enjoy this deliciousness!

Don't have a lot of fat grams to spare? That's fine!
1/2 cup (113 grams) of Fage non-fat Greek yogart (11p 4.5c 0f)
1 tablespoon (5 grams) of unsweetened cocoa powder from Trader Joe's (0p 0f 3c)
1 packet of stevia

Mix together (carefully, that powder loves to hop around) and enjoy!

If you have some fat to spare and are looking for something a bit more satiating, I also love mixing Fage non-fat Greek yogart with 1 tablespoon of Jif peanut butter (16 grams) and 1/3 tablespoon (7 grams) of honey. Yum!

1/2 cup (113 grams) of Fage non-fat greek yogart (11p 4.5c 0f)
16 grams of Jif peanut butter (3.5p 7.5f 5c)
7 grams of honey (0p 0f 5.7c)

I'm also a huge fan of Flavor God's Chocolate Donut seasoning. Calorie free and delicious.
I also enjoy Walden Farm's Calorie Free Chocolate Syrup and their Calorie Free Pancake Syrup.

You may have noticed I put grams next to all ingredients. This is because ideally, you should invest in a food scale. It seemed scary to me at first, but honestly, it's so much easier than measuring food out using cups or spoons, and it's much more effective. Measuring cups may vary a smidge from brand to brand, and you may pack a measuring cup a little differently each time. But weight is weight. No matter how you dump it into a bowl, the scale is going to give you an accurate number.

At the end of the day, understanding where your calories come from (proteins, carbs, or fats) is a lot more important than the amount of calories you have.

I never knew this before I started counting macros. I tried to eat as little as possible, but then I also drank a few beers a couple times a week, and was sporadic about my protein intake. At the same time, I was also frustrated that I wasn't losing any weight, even though I was going to the gym on a regular basis.

In reality, I wasn't making the progress I wanted because I wasn't being consistent with my food intake. Consistency is key, and it is the ONLY tool that will give you sustained progress.

I strongly encourage anyone who is considering counting macros to reach out to me if you have a little money you can spend monthly. I can put you in contact with my nutritionist, Lida Orr (you can follow her on Instagram: healthfulblisslife), who is absolutely amazing.

At the very least, you should wander over to If It Fits Your Macros Macro Calculator to see what your daily intake should be.

I've tried a lot of things throughout my life, from thinking I was watching what I was eating, to essentially starving myself (I was 16 and stupid), to eating paleo while doing CrossFit (I ended up GAINING 20 pounds when I was doing this, again because I didn't understand food intake), to working with a personal trainer, and now this. Macros is the ONLY time I've made consistent gains that are getting me closer to the physique I want.

Every body is the same. I used to tell myself "well my body just won't lose the weight" all the time. That is simply not true. Since June, I've lost 10 pounds. I didn't have a whole lot to lose. I went from 5'8 and 143 pounds to 5'8 and 133 pounds. Now I'm working on building muscle and changing my physique.

You can do this. I promise.

Now, download MyFitnessPal and buy yourself a food scale, and start getting shit done!

Lots of love,
Mal