HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO EAT TO LOSE WEIGHT AND BUILD MUSCLE?

As menopausal women our main focus has to be on cutting body fat and maintaining/building skeletal muscle. We also need to eat and drink as if our life depends on it because, in fact, it does! We must be efficient with the calories we are allotted. We must learn to live on less, turning our bodies back into fat-burning, survival machines. We have the tools: intermittent fasting creates that survival instinct by strengthening and repairing damage in our gut and at the cellular level overtime. IF also forces our bodies into fat-burning which is critical for insulin sensitivity. Second, proper nutrition helps balance our hormones. This will help with hot flashes, improve sleep, slow down the aging process, create ease in the body and the mind and bring ourselves into full vitality. Our best line of defense is to focus on eating adequate protein surrounded by life-giving veggies, fruits and spices/herbs and drinking lots of water.

PORTION CONTROL/MEAL PLANNING

  • Think meals vs. snacking/grazing

  • Essential to achieve your goals

  • Controls calories and ensures adequate nutrition

  • Make a plan for eating out, late dinners and social engagements

WINNING STRATEGY: Measure out your protein for day and build the rest of your meal around the protein. Use the palm-size method for lean protein portion and 2 fist-fulls to portion out veggies/carbs. Watch fat and add-ons.  


 MAKE PROTEIN A PRIORITY - Maintain skeletal muscle

  • Recommended range is: 1.2 - 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of your goal body weight

  • Use an online calculator to convert body weight in pounds to kilograms and then multiply that number by 1.2 or 1.6 to get protein goal

  • Example: 150 pounds = 68 kilograms x 1.2 and 1.6 = 81.6 - 108.8 grams protein daily goal

  • Take 30 grams of protein (120-200 calories) before or after workout for max muscle synthesis

  • Higher Dietery Protein + Resistance Training is best for building/maintaning muscle mass during caloric decifit (diet)

  • Eat a variety of land animal, fish and plant-based protein. Also some cheeses and dairy as tolerated.

  • PORTION:

    • 1 palm-size portion of lean protein (about 4 oz. = 30 grams) , Calculate daily amount based on your goal body weight. Example: 150 lbs. person would need to eat about 3-4 palm-size portions of protein per day

DAILY DIETARY FAT

  • To aid in sustainable weight loss, 20-30% of total calories should be from healthy dietary fat

  • Stay in lower ranges closer to 20% when trying to decrease body fat.

  • Eat mostly unsaturated fat like olive oil, coconut oil, MCT, olives, avocado, nuts

  • DAILY PORTION:

    • 1 thumb size portion = 1 tablespoon = 14 grams. So if you are shooting for around 50 grams of fat per day then go for around 4 tablespoons per day.

DAILY CARBS/FIBER

  • Carbohydrate consumption will vary based on daily activity and overall daily calorie requirements.

  • Stay on the lower end of the range to become a fat burner (instead of a sugar burner.)

  • Eat whole, single-ingredient, closest-to-the-source GOOD carbs (potato, whole grains like rice and oats, high-fiber NON-starchy and starchy veggies, high-fiber beans, fruit)

  • Shoot for 25 grams of fiber daily

  • Stay away from BAD CARBS: high-sugar or chemicals, ANYTHING PROCESSED, fake food/drinks cookies, cakes, chips, cereal bars, carbs in a box, sugary dairy, etc.

  • PORTION:

    • 1 fist full = 15 grams of non-starchy leafy-green veggies

    • 1 cupped handful of healthy, single-ingredient starchy carb (1/2 cup=30 grams)

    • Plate method: fill 1/2 plate with assorted green veggies, 1/4 protein and 1/4 starchy carbs

    • So if you are going for around 135-145g carbs per day in 3 meals = shoot for 45g carbs per meal

Source for macro percentages: NASM guidelines