The plethora of dietary information flooding the information superhighway can leave one spinning in a confused haze. Should we skip breakfast and eat later in the day? Should we eat a large breakfast and small dinner? Is 3 meals better than 6? Should we not eat at night? Is the cortisol awakening response good or bad? Are we more sensitive to food in the morning or evening? Should we fast?
First up is the most important element to consider when talking about weight management and control of how fat we are. Total energy intake. We’ve got to get that right before we talk about much else. If we eat too many calories, we store the excess as fat. I’ve got that part down. I’ve been tracking every morsel of food I eat every day for years now. I know my maintenance level of calories and can add or lose weight at will by manipulating those calories. Assuming that’s under control, let’s level up.
Protein is the most important macronutrient. We need to eat it, and we need to eat it all the time. Skimp on the protein and lose much needed lean body mass. How much is still debatable, but suffice it to say we need more than the RDA. The RDA is the minimum required to avoid deficiency in sedentary individuals. If we could swoop into impoverished nations where people are malnourished and ensure everyone got at least the RDA recommended protein intake, we’d do them all a world of good. But that’s not an optimal amount, especially for active people involved in physical activity. I’ve decided to increase my protein to 1.1 grams per lb of body weight, but that’s definitely on the high end of likely requirements. If you’re getting at least .8 grams per lb every day, you’re probably good. I only count real protein, from complete protein sources, which are usually dead animals.
Fats are the second most important macronutrient and fortunately, they tend to come with the protein food. If you’re eating a piece of steak, you’re getting protein and fats. We lack Omega-3 fatty acids in our diets so we should eat tons of mackerel, anchovies and salmon. Or take the pills, which is my preference.
Carbohydrates aren’t required at all. Eat them if you want, don’t eat them if you don’t. Get enough protein and fats in your daily diet and fill the rest of your calories with carbohydrates. Easy peasy.
Now to the issue of nutrient timing. Here’s where things get interesting and I will tip my Mets cap to the good Dr. from Calories Proper, who recently has gone to a paid system for his blog content which makes me blue. Anyway, he has written extensively about circadian rhythms and included almost too many studies to count about how we should match our eating patterns to our circadian patterns. We’re supposed to eat with the daylight and sleep when there isn’t any daylight. Breakfast filled with protein rich foods is the way to go. Eat lots in the morning, like a king. Eat less as the day progresses and don’t eat late into the night.
The only issue I have with eating this way is the fear of going catabolic into the night with a protracted fast. However, I think this is likely an overblown fear. I imagine if I eat 180 grams of protein over the course of a day, that the likelihood my body will devour itself overnight from a lack of amino acids is fairly nonsensical.
I will refocus my dietary efforts around the sun which provides life giving energy and Vitamin D. I’ll eat my face off when I wake up and shrink my meals as the day wears on. I’m sure I’ll have a small carb free protein meal at night anyway, maybe a little cottage cheese, but no more will I feast before bed. I’m not going to worry about post workout carbs either because a few sets of squats, bench press and deadlifts will not wipe out my glycogen stores, especially if I primed and filled them all morning as I’m supposed to.
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