Body composition change is a complex journey, and it can be challenging to know where to focus your efforts for the best results. Many people and fitness coaches make the mistake of focusing on the wrong factors, leading to a lack of progress. This blog post will guide you through the hierarchy of importance in body composition change, so you know exactly where to direct your attention to achieve your desired outcome.
Energy balance is the fundamental principle of body composition change. It’s a straightforward concept: calories consumed vs calories burned. If your goal is fat loss, you must create a calorie deficit, and if your goal is muscle gain, you must create a calorie surplus. Without the proper energy balance, your body composition change efforts will be fruitless. A calorie deficit means burning more calories than you consume, while a calorie surplus means consuming more calories than you burn.
Macronutrients are the primary types of food that provide energy, such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Although macronutrients don’t directly impact the rate of fat loss, they play a crucial role in determining how you feel while dieting. When you feel good, you’ll train harder, recover better, and have a higher rate of compliance. On the other hand, if you feel sluggish and hungry all the time, your compliance will suffer, and your training performance will be compromised.
Micronutrients refer to the quality of our food and are essential for overall health. Foods high in micronutrients play a vital role in processes such as methylation, detoxification, and neurotransmitter formation. However, it’s crucial to understand that micronutrients don’t directly impact the rate of fat loss. While following good nutrition principles and macro ratios based on your body type is important for maximising results, the quantity of food is more critical than the quality. That being said, we still highly recommend consuming quality foods that include all food groups.
Meal timing was once considered a crucial factor in body composition change, but current research suggests otherwise. Eating six meals a day won’t speed up your metabolism, and consuming carbs at night won’t make you fat. In fact, eating carbs at night can enhance sleep and recovery, leading to better results.
Have you been searching for the magic pill to replace the hard work and consistency required for body composition change? Unfortunately, this pill doesn’t exist. Supplements should not be relied upon as a substitute for hard work and good nutrition.
