Not All Calories Are Created Equal?!?

      Not all calories are created equal. Or are they? By definition a calorie is the energy needed to raise a gram of water 1 degree C or a quantity of food capable of producing such an amount of energy. That being said, a calorie is a calorie right? WRONG!

     Let's take a look at the difference. Below is roughly 250 calories worth of food. Everything is equal right?

 

                                                                             VS.

 

 

     Because not everything is equal, I wanted to share some insight on the world of Macronutrients, or macro tracking. Tracking just calories alone is sometimes not enough to get help you achieve your goals. But tracking macros can be the missing piece of the puzzle in you road to being fit.

 

     What exactly is a macro? Quite simply it is the protein, carbs and fats in every food. This is what you will be looking for on any food labels for tracking.

 

     I am not going to attempt to tell anyone just how many calories they need daily. Everyone's needs are different based on how active they are, how much they weigh and what type of exercise they perform. There are plenty of online calculator out there or if you are using a Beachbody product, there are clear nutrition guidelines included as well.



    Once you know your caloric need, we can break it down to macro percentages to help you achieve your specific goals. Based on the type of training you do, your breakdown will be different. Allow me to share a few examples:

If you are a weightlifter trying to bulk up you may have 25% Protein 50% Carb and 25% Fats

A weightlifter trying to cut body fat may have 50% Protein 40%Carb and 10% Fats

A person doing an at home program trying to shed fat may have 45% Protein 35% Carb and 25% Fats

     To go further we are going to perform some math, not my favorite subject, but necessary for accurate tracking. We will base it off a 2000 calorie diet with a 50/40/10 split. For this we need to know one more thing.....

50% Protein or 1000 calories divided by 4 grams = 250 Grams protein per day

40% Carbs or 800 calories divided by 4 grams = 200 Grams carbs per day

10% Fats or 200 calories divided by 9 = 21 Grams fat per day

(Keep in mind this example if for cutting or fat loss)

     If you consistently go over in a certain category you may hurt your chances of achieving your goals. Eating unhealthy carb like white sugars and breads as opposed to complex carbs like whole grains and sweet potatoes or unhealthy fats compared to nuts, olive oils or avocado will also make a difference.

    As you can see, all calories ARE NOT created equal. Choose wisely to achieve your goals. If you need help figuring out your calorie/macro goal, I would be happy to help. Email me at sbelangerfitness@gmail.com or Like our Facebook page here. I'm always happy to help someone start their journey or achieve their goals.

When Life Takes Over

Imagine this if you will.....

You wake up at 7am, fresh off of 8 hours of deep sleep. You come into the kitchen, a healthy breakfast is prepared and waiting for you. At 9am you head to the gym, or pop in your favorite work out DVD, and you nailed it today!

Then imagine a nice relaxing shower, heading off to work, home after 8 hours and settling down to a nice family dinner.

Now wake up from this fantasy, because real life just took over!

If your life is anything like mine, this is nothing more than a fantasy. My life seems like as soon as my feet hit the floor, its is pedal to the metal until I sleep at night.

I do not tell you this for sympathy or even for a pat on the back. This story is about how I manage to maintain a healthy lifestyle, all while being surrounded by chaos.

Allow me to introduce you to chaos.......

My three boys, Ryan 6, Mikey 4 and Joey is 1. I know what you are thinking, how can something so cute cause so much chaos?

Honestly, I am blessed. My family is amazing, my wife Jessica keeps this brood in check every day. The kids are some of the nicest and most polite boys you will ever find.

However at any given moment cute turns into chaos.......

Allow me to shed some light on my "normal" day and how I adapt to stay healthy among the chaos.

3:45 AM Wake up. I get up this early for necessity, not because I enjoy it. If I want "me" time, it happens now

4:00-5:30 AM Me time. This is where I have my first meal, a chocolate protein or Shakeology mixed with cold coffee (Who has time to wait for the coffee to brew?).

This is where I get my personal development time in, a minimum of 10 minutes reading every day.

Next is workout #1. I am currently starting PIYO for round 2. I find this to be one of the best workouts as I get older. It helps my aching joints and my flexibility.

At this point I pack my cooler for the day and hit the road.

5:30 AM Workout #2. I enjoy old school weight training routines just as much as my at home DVD's. This is the time of the day when I can "drown out the noise" as I like to say. No one talks to me, no one bothers me, and the stress of life disappears for an hour.

7:00 AM Off to work! I am a Service Manager at a busy plumbing and HVAC company. I also run service calls during high demand times, which seems like everyday. Every day is different, some are 8 hours, some are 12.

I bring everything I need to eat throughout the day with me. Three meals, 2 snacks, a shake and "emergency food" (Cans of chicken) just in case the day goes extra long. I would rather pack extra than have to stop for fast food.

6:00 PM This is where the real chaos begins! From the minute I walk through the door, its family time. Bombarded by 3 running and crawling boys trying to capture my attention (and loving every second of it). These days will quickly be replaced by teenagers that no longer think Dad is cool, so I think I will enjoy this as long as possible.

Dinner, clean up, cuddle time, bath time, story time and bed time all follow. I can't stress how blessed I am to have a wife that keeps our crazy household together. It is such a seemingly thankless job of being a full time mom and wife, yet to her it is the most fulfilling.

 

 

8:00 PM Phew! We survived another night! Now is the time where I prep my meals for tomorrow, spend some time catching up with my Beachbody challenge group participants and finally spend some much needed time with Jess. This is probably the only time we can have an uninterrupted conversation and we try to use our time wisely, but some days we want nothing more than to kick back and just relax together.

 

     This is a typical weekday. Now add the weekends filled with soccer (I coach 1st grade soccer), basketball, family functions, grocery shopping, holidays and fun adventures and there is enough to make your head spin!

 

 

 

     Life takes over. There is always SOMETHING. Unforeseen circumstances can change the course of any given day.  Do I expect people to attempt to live this way? HECK NO! This is just plain crazy......... but it is what works for me. I share this because just when you think your life is overwhelming, chaotic, or just plain crazy, think of my story.

 

 

     Also, if you find yourself up 4am, wondering if you should get out of bed to start your workout...... Message me or find me on Facebook, I will be right there working out too.