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The first two principles in my "dieting for adults" framework are: 1) focus on protein, and 2) target micronutrients. As noted earlier, these two principles address the types of foods we're choosing. If we're following these principles, it will naturally lead us to choosing foods that are protein and nutrient-dense. By and large, foods that are protein and nutrient-dense are foods that are as close to their natural, unprocessed form as possible - think foods that were "alive" at one point in time (meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, etc.).
But any good nutritional framework also has to address the question of how much we should be eating. In some instances, it's not enough to just focus on whole foods. In today's world, where (thankfully) food is plentiful and can be shipped all over the world and we have to do very little physical labor to acquire it, it's shockingly easy to overeat even the healthiest foods. So we also need to have a way of determining how much food we should be eating.
So that leads us to the next principle:
Eat an appropriate amount of energy calories for your goal and lifestyle.
Protein calories vs. energy calories
One of the most useful nutritional concepts that I ever learned was that there is a difference between how protein calories and energy calories (fat and carbs) are metabolized and utilized in our bodies. I learned about the "protein vs. energy" framework from Dr. Ted Naiman, author of The P:E Diet (both the book and Ted's Instagram are well worth checking out!).
Almost everyone knows that calories are a way of measuring the energy we put into our bodies in the form of food. What most people don't realize is that not all calories are created equal. We need to see the underlying distinction between protein calories and energy calories.
One of the most striking images from Ted's book provides a visual for how to conceptualize the effect that protein and (excess) energy calories have on the body:
Basically, we need to think of protein calories as the “building blocks” of the body — raw materials for the various structures found in the body. Calories from fat and carbohydrates, on the other hand, should be thought of as “energy” — either to be used right away, or to be stored as potential energy for the future (otherwise known as body fat).
Overeating protein simply does not lead to gaining excess body fat the same way that overeating energy calories will. Eating more protein than you need is not necessarily recommended because it could have negative repercussions down the road, but the point is that protein and energy have different effects in the body. In fact, one of my top recommendations for people trying to lose weight and dealing with intense hunger is to eat more lean protein if you're hungry!
Keep in mind that I'm not intending to demonize fat or carbs. We have a baseline need for some energy calories in our diets. You need both protein and energy in your diet, but in the correct amounts.
Energy: not too much, not too little
As vitally important as protein is (it's principle #1 of my dietary framework for a reason), it's also true that we can’t exist on protein alone for too long. We do need some amount of energy calories in our diet on a regular basis. How much we need, and whether these energy calories come from fat, carbs, or a mixture, depends on the individual.
As a side note, there actually is a way of eating in which the goal is to basically eat pure protein. This is called a protein-sparing modified fast, and should only be done with professional supervision because it can easily lead to health issues if done incorrectly. It's typically used to lose weight rapidly, because it’s almost impossible to gain body fat from pure protein. If you're interested in learning more, read this excellent article from Marty Kendall.
The problem most people have in today's world is that we have a surplus of dietary energy relative to our daily needs. This ultimately manifests in obesity, high insulin and blood sugar, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides - the cluster of symptoms known as metabolic syndrome.
The basic takeaway is that you need enough energy calories to support your activity levels, but consistently eating more energy calories than you need is going to ultimately lead to a whole host of health problems.
So, how many calories do I need?
There is no “one size fits all” amount of calories that all people need. 2,000 calories may be too much for some people, and too little for others. In fact, I've found that calorie needs are much more variable than protein needs - most people do great with the blanket recommendation of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, but it's much more difficult to create a black-and-white rule of thumb for determining ideal calorie intake.
The appropriate amount of calories for you depends on a number of factors, including your current weight and body fat percentage, activity level, and your goal (i.e., whether you want to gain, lose, or maintain weight).
To get an estimate of the amount of calories you need for your unique situation, check out this macro calculator. You’ll input your information and the calculator will generate an estimate of how many calories you should be eating.
But keep in mind that any calorie goal you get from a macro calculator will just be a starting point, not a hard-and-fast rule. The real test of whether you’re getting the right amount of calories is whether you gain, lose, or maintain your weight. If you eat "X" amount of calories and you're maintaining your weight, this would be an appropriate amount of calories for you (assuming your goal is to maintain). If you're looking to lose weight, you'd need to eat fewer energy calories (never cut your protein, even if you're in a weight loss phase).
Do I need to count calories or track macros?
Not necessarily!
In my experience, if you get the types of food right - targeting high protein and nutrient-dense foods - you'll naturally and intuitively start regulating the amount of total calories you eat. These types of foods are naturally very satiating and avoid triggering those hedonistic pleasure circuits in your brain as hyper-palatable foods do. Over time, if you're consistently eating simple, minimally processed, protein-rich foods like meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, and fruit, you'll most likely find your appetite regulating and you'll be able to maintain a healthy weight without tracking your food.
However, there is a place for weighing and tracking your food intake, at least for periods of time. If you are very overweight and need to lose body fat more quickly, if you don’t trust your appetite signals, or simply want to ensure that you make progress faster, tracking macros is a good approach. You may even choose to do it for a limited period of time, like a week or two, just to get an idea of how many calories you’re eating and how much protein you typically get in a day.
Two apps I recommend for people who want to track macros is Cronometer (there's a good free version) and MacroFactor (not free, but more of a diet coach in addition to a simple tracker).
Should I try a low-carb diet or a low-fat diet?
Since we're on the subject of energy calories, this begs the question of where your energy calories should be coming from. You basically have three choices:
A low carb diet, where most of your energy is coming from fatty foods
A low fat diet, where most of your energy is coming from carby foods
A balanced diet, where you rely on a combination of carbs and fats for your energy
So which one is right for you?
This is a huge question that has been the subject of intense debate in the nutrition space for decades. I'll do my best to give a simple, nuanced answer.
My answer is…”it depends!” Fair warning: this is my answer to a lot of questions. It's not a cop-out; it's just the reality. Whether you do better with carbs, fats, or a balanced approach is one of the areas in nutrition where we see the most individuality. People are different, and what works best for you will likely also change throughout your life depending on your circumstances.
As tricky as this question is, it's also one of the most important questions for you to figure out: do you feel and perform best with the bulk of your energy calories coming from carbs, from fat, or from a combination of the two? Even though I can't give you a black-and-white answer other than to self-experiment (possibly with the help of a health coach), I can give you some guidelines that may help you know where to start.
There are some situations where it might be smart to try a low-carb diet. For example, you might already know that you have poor blood sugar control, or are diabetic or pre-diabetic. In this case, the smartest approach for you will certainly be to limit your carb intake until your metabolic health improves. Another situation in which it might make sense to limit your carb intake is if you live a pretty sedentary lifestyle and do very little exercise (especially high-intensity exercise like HIIT or strength training). In this case, you likely won't be able to process carbs well and may do better with a slower-burning type of energy, like fat.
There are other situations where it might be smart to try a low-fat or balanced approach. For example, if you do a lot of high-intensity exercise like CrossFit or prolonged HIIT workouts that are anaerobic in nature, you will likely feel much better with at least some of your energy intake coming from carbs. Another scenario that might justify eating more carbs is if you are already very lean and muscular and have good metabolic health. Having good body composition is the ultimate scenario that gives you the most flexibility with your diet.
Try both approaches, and see how you feel! But remember, your baseline need for protein never changes. Regardless of where you get the bulk of your energy calories, you’ll always need adequate protein.
Conclusion
These are the 3 cornerstones of a healthy diet. To sum up:
Get ample protein from high-quality sources.
Make the bulk of your meals nutrient-dense whole foods.
Eat an appropriate amount of calories from either fat, carbs, or a combination to support your goals and activity levels.
80% of the time, following these 3 guidelines will be all that you need to do to get the majority of health benefits from your diet. And as noted earlier, you may never even need to think much about calories if you’ve consistently followed principles 1 and 2.
But there are situations where you’ll need to do a little more fine-tuning. Maybe you’re just the type of person who likes to self-experiment and wants to fully optimize your health to derive the maximum possible benefits. Or maybe you’re dealing with a chronic illness or have numerous food sensitivities that make everything much more complicated.
The two main ways you may need to further fine-tune your diet are to pay attention to which foods cause inflammation for you, and to narrow down which foods cause blood sugar dis-regulation for you.
Click the button below for the next article: "Fine-Tuning Your Diet: Inflammation."
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