College students are infamous for living a luxurious life of ramen noodles, pizza and cheap Chinese takeout. As the lavish eating frenzies continue, students eventually gain the notorious “Freshman 15” and then must discover how to drop the dreaded weight without starving, going broke or losing sanity.
In a health-obsessed society, there’s plenty of talk about the latest diets, whether they are juices, systems, programs or studies where you hang upside down, drink some apple cider vinegar and quack five times. Whatever the latest trend may be, it always seems to hold the secret key to getting your dream figure. The thought of achieving the perfect body overnight or living the ultimate healthy lifestyle overnight is almost too good to be true. Well, it’s almost too good for truth, but there is a key to achieving your health goals that isn’t quite as secret.
This key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is balance. According to Google Trends, macronutrients, or macros, are becoming increasingly popular over the internet. Macros are carbohydrates, proteins and fats, which your body needs a lot of in order to function properly. Unlike fad diets that force people to give up certain foods or choices, the latest trend allows people to eat what they want, just in moderation.
Cecilia Rokusek, program director for the master’s of science in nutrition program, has taught nutrition for 30 years and said that macronutrients are the foundation for every diet.
“They are the only group of nutrients that give you calories,” she said.
For years, fad diets have attacked the benefits of macros. Between all the low-fat and no carb plans, it’s no wonder people believe these mighty body morphers are for evil rather than good. Macros are not evil, people. Research conducted by numerous institutes, including the Centers for Disease Control and Mayo Health Clinics, has proven that these nutrients are what provide your meals with high-quality nutrition rather than low-quality calories.
What separates a macro-specific diet from regular diets is the fact that it can easily be readjusted to meet an individual’s needs of fat loss, muscle gain or weight sustainability. Rokusek said that unlike other diets, focusing on macronutrients allows you to customize your daily intake specifically to how your body reacts and your personal goals. By identifying your fitness goals and understanding the kind of lifestyle you live, you can easily create a plan that doesn’t necessarily restrict what you eat, but how much you eat.
“You have to fit your macros into your everyday lifestyle,” Rokusek said. “The key is to eat in moderation.”
The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics created a macro-focused guideline that breaks down how much of your daily calories should come from each nutrient. Their research shows that the most basic diet should consist of 50 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent fats and 20 percent protein. The reason for these percentages is because of the gram-to-calorie ratio that the macronutrients have. One gram of carbs and one gram of protein are both equal to four calories, while one gram of fat equals nine calories.
Jake Bence, sophomore chemistry major, has focused on macros to sustain a healthy diet for a year. He said he did a lot of research to figure out what he needed to do to meet his goals and that the best way to figure out percentages is to use online calculators.
“It’s a lot of research and use of online tools to figure out where you need to be,” he said. “If you’re trying to put on muscle, you need to have more protein. If you’re really active, you need more carbohydrates. You need to figure out your macro percentages that meet your own personal goals.”
Depending on the individual and their personal goals, the guideline can be adjusted. For example, someone who wants to lose weight could consider increasing their protein by 10 or 15 percent, which would decrease their carb intake by the same amount.
Bence said accuracy is key when it comes to tracking macros.
“Whatever your goals are, keep in mind that progress is slow,” he said. “Whenever you try to do anything fitness related, especially counting macros and calories, make sure you do it as accurately as possible and stay consistent. Do a lot of research beforehand because you don’t want to malnourish yourself or even overeat. Track your progress every few weeks.”
Rokusek explained that tracking macros is primarily about portion control and that it doesn’t require a lot of money, just a variety of food. She suggested that students choose foods that fit their lifestyles, whether they be active, sedentary or anywhere in between. By eating foods that adhere to your lifestyle, she said you will be less likely to choose a diet fad that will make you gain all losses back in the long run.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition conducted a study in 2005 on long-term weight loss maintenance and concluded that less than 20 percent of people are successful at losing weight long-term. Their research found that people generally regain their weight because they “yo-yo” diet, or will only stick to a diet for a short period of time before returning to unhealthy habits.
They found that the six strategies for long-term success include physical activity, a high protein and low fat diet, eating breakfast, self-monitoring progress, eating regularly and consistently, and acknowledging when you are no longer making progress.
“Once in a while you can splurge, but don’t go overboard,” Rokusek said. “You are what you eat. If you say you’re going to go on a really strange diet for a couple of months, remember that about 80 percent of people gain that weight back because the diet is too varied from their lifestyle.”
Rokusek, Bence and numerous studies agree that the best way to know what a balanced diet looks like is to start by tracking what you eat and understanding what good nutrition does for your health.
“Nutrition is still an evolving discipline and science. That’s why we’re learning every day how people lose weight, how they gain weight and what’s best [for their health],” Rokusek said. “Be conscious of what you do to your food and be wise of what your limits are.”
