Calories First, Macros Matter

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to There is a Method to the Madness.
My name is Rob Maxwell, and I'man exercise physiologist and
personal trainer.
I am the owner of Maxwell'sFitness Program and have been in
business since 1994.
The purpose of this podcast isto get to the real deal of what
really worked and mostimportantly why things work.
Hence the name, there is amethod to the magnet.

(00:24):
Before I get started today, letme thank Jonathan and Lynn
Gilden of the Gilding GroupRealty Pros.
They are committed to providingthe highest level of customer
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(00:46):
I am going to teach you what youneed to know about eating, and
I'm going to do that between 20and 30 minutes using your time
right here.
And it is so simple andsomething I've been preaching

(01:06):
since I've been a professional.
The key is will you believe me?
Will you believe that all ofthis is this simple?
So I'm going to go over twothings that we need to
understand regarding eating,diet, weight loss, weight gain,

(01:30):
weight maintenance, all thatgood stuff.
Being healthy, having energy towork out, having energy to live,
having energy for whatever weneed, why we don't have energy,
all those good things.
All right.
But the first thing I need toget you to understand is that

(01:50):
two things can be true at thesame time.
People love dichotomies so much,but that is not how life is.
All right.
So first you have to nod with meand say, all right, all right,
two things can be true at thesame time.

(02:10):
And now let's talk about whatthose two things are.
The first thing is that weightloss, weight gain, weight
maintenance, all of that comesdown to calories.
Period.
It comes down to calories.
If we want to lose weight, wehave to either consume less

(02:35):
calories or burn more caloriesor some combination of those two
things.
This is a physiological fact.
All right.
Now the second thing that's trueis macronutrients matter.

(02:58):
Macronutrients arecarbohydrates, protein, fat, and
water.
But the energy-givingmacronutrients are only protein,
carbs, and fat.
So minus out the water.
They matter.

(03:18):
But Rob, why do they matter ifit all comes down to calories?
Because they do.
And you're going to listen andfind out how they matter.
The first thing we're going totalk about, though, is why
everything comes down tocalories.

(03:39):
Now, if you've ever had science,maybe biology, maybe a different
form of biology, you perhapslearned the very first law of
thermodynamics, which statesenergy is neither created nor

(04:00):
destroyed.
That means energy is alwaysthere.
Now that's kind of cool when youreally, really think about it,
right?
Because we human beings and allanimals are energy.
So that's kind of cool.
So, you know, just wrap yourhead around that a little bit,

(04:21):
but I'm not going to go toophilosophical on you at least
today.
I'm going to keep this in therealm of what I'm talking about.
So, in the case of food, energyis calories.
All right.
Calories are units of energy.
We need energy to continue tomove.

(04:45):
What happens is energy in theform of carbohydrates and fat,
and to an extent, protein, helpresynthesize the adenosin
triphosphate, which is ATP inyour cells, because the only
unit of energy small enough tobe used at the cell level is

(05:09):
ATP.
And we only store enough forabout three seconds.
One, two, three.
I'm out of ATP.
One, two, three.
I'm out of ATP.
We cannot move without ATP.
All right.
ATP is the lifeblood of thecells.

(05:32):
The only way we canresynthesize, not create,
because remember, energy isneither created nor destroyed.
So it's resynthesized.
It's broken down from one areaand brought to another.
The calories is what is neededto resynthesize the ATP.
So if we don't have enoughcalories, we don't have any

(05:54):
energy, we don't move.
Okay?
Now, here is the definition of acalorie, which, you know, you'll
get this right on Jeopardybecause that will probably be
the only place you'll see thisunless you are perusing through
some textbooks.
A calorie is a unit of energyequivalent to the heat energy

(06:18):
needed to raise the temperatureof one gram of water by one
Celsius.
That's the definition of acalorie.
So it can be measured.
That's what a calorie is.
So if we need to lose weight, weneed to take in less energy from

(06:44):
the outside so we can use theenergy on the inside.
And guess where your energy isstored in the body?
Can you guess?
Do you know that stuff thatstarts with an A that nobody
likes, adipose tissue?
That is stored fat.

(07:05):
Okay, that's what adipose is.
It's fat.
Well, fat is energy.
As a matter of fact, one gram offat has nine calories.
So the only way we are going touse that subcutaneous fat on

(07:25):
your body, that's the fat that'son the midsection, that's the
fat that's on the fanny, that'sthe fat that's on the thighs,
that's the fat that's on thebiceps, whatever and wherever
your body type particularlystores it, that's what that is.
That is stored energy.
Adipose tissue is stored energy.

(07:48):
So all of you are very smart.
I know this because you'relistening to this podcast.
Tell me how you're going to getdown and burn that adipose
tissue if you're taking inenough energy from the outside?
How is that going to happen?
How is that going to happen?
So if you're trying to use up abucket of water and you're not

(08:13):
allowed to leave until thatbucket of water is done for
whatever you're doing, wateringplants or whatever you're doing,
but it's continuing to rain tofill up the bucket.
How on earth are you going toget to the bottom of the bucket?
How are you going to get to thestored water when all you're
pulling off is the water thatjust came in?
You can't, right?
It's impossible.

(08:34):
So everything is going to comedown to calories.
The only way to get to thestored energy you have, which is
adipose tissue, is to have adeficit.
You need a deficit, a caloricdeficit.
That is the only way, ladies andgentlemen, that you're going to

(08:58):
lose weight.
So I've had people, you know,those types we all get at
workshops or when we'respeaking, you know, they think
they're being funny or they'retrying to challenge you, you
know.
We call them kind of like rubberballs, you know.
So a sponge takes in all theinformation that you want to

(09:18):
give because they really want toget better.
So, you know, if you tell themsomething, they'll say, oh man,
you know, no, I never heardthat.
I'm going to apply that.
And, you know, we have enough ofthose in our life, thank
goodness.
And then we have the rubberballs people, you know.
Every time you tell themsomething, they yab at you or
they tell you something theyheard.
And basically they're just notready to grow or get better.

(09:41):
So we in the Allied Healthindustry, and I'm sure in all
other industries, kind of just,you know, put them on the back
burner and go, oh, there theyare, right?
But occasionally, if I speak,you'll get one in the audience
and they'll raise their hand andgo, okay, Rob.
So you're telling me that if Ionly eat Hershey's Kisses, I'm

(10:03):
saying this, Hershey's Kisses,you're wondering why is this so
freaking specific?
Well, you can guess why.
Because this is an exactconversation I had with some
lovely person once.
So you're telling me if I eatnothing but Hershey's Kisses, I
can lose weight if I just takein maybe 800 calories worth a

(10:25):
day, but it's Hershey's Kisses.
So, yep, you will lose weight,Brian.
You will lose weight.
And you will be unhealthy.
And not only will you lose somesubcutaneous body fat, you will
lose some muscle because youdon't have any glycogen there to

(10:48):
rebuild it.
You don't have any protein thereto help it grow.
You will not be healthy.
Most likely you will turn out,most likely not, you know, not
necessarily, but good chanceyou'll get type 2 diabetes
because you really throw yourinsulin out of whack.
You will be in brain fog all thetime because you're consuming
nothing but sugar.

(11:09):
But sure, Brian, you will loseweight.
Thanks for the question.
All right.
So, yes, it all comes down toenergy with weight loss, weight
gain, weight maintenance, but itdoesn't mean you'll be healthy.
All right.
So macronutrients matter too.
Two things can be true at thesame time.

(11:32):
Does that mean that you're gonnanow follow that influencer
that's selling you the macrodiet online and they're gonna
teach you exactly how many gramsof carbs, fat, and protein to
consume to lose weight?
No, because really all they'redoing with that is playing the
shell game.
They're just doing some math foryou.
That's all they're doing.

(11:52):
They're taking the calories thatyou need and dividing it by a
certain percentage to tell youhow many grams to eat.
You can do that for yourself.
You'll learn here how.
So, no, you don't have to dothat.
I'm just telling you that boththings are true.
Macronutrients matter andcalories matter.
Okay.

(12:12):
So, a definition of amacronutrient is an essential
nutrient.
And by the way, essential inthis case doesn't mean needed.
I understand that's a definitionof essential, but that's not
what it means.
Essential in this case meansyour body can't produce it on
its own, so it has to come froman outside source.

(12:34):
So a macronutrient is anessential nutrient your body
needs in large, that's where themacro comes in, in large amounts
for energy, body structure, andbodily function.
That's what a macronutrient is,needed in large amounts.
A micronutrient is our vitaminsand minerals, all right?

(12:59):
Essential micronutrients,meaning your body has to take
them in from the outside.
That's where the essential comesin.
Micro means you need them insmall amounts.
Compared to macro, you need themin larger amounts.
Okay, so that's what they are.
Now, protein is a macronutrient.

(13:58):
Protein has four kilocalories orcalories per gram.
Same as carbohydrates, fourcalories per gram.
Why is protein needed?
Because protein's job is forgrowth and repair.
Now, a lot of times people willsay, well, you need protein to

(14:21):
grow your muscles.
Well, that's partly true, butnot really.
You need complex carbohydratesto grow your muscles.
You need quality carbs for theenergy, but you also need
protein for the growth andrepair.
So it's not completely falsewhen they say it, but I don't
know that all of them know whythey say it.

(14:42):
So it is hard to grow muscleswithout protein because it's
hard for the cells to get therepair.
But protein by itself is not anenergy carbohydrate, all right?
Needed for growth and repair.
Protein is broken down intoessential and non-essential
amino acids.

(15:03):
When these amino acids arebroken down, reach the
bloodstream, they do their job.
It is best to get protein inlean sources because the problem
with protein is sometimes theycome in a high-fat diet.
So, yeah, you can get a lot ofprotein in beef, but you're also

(15:23):
going to get a lot of saturatedfat.
So it's best to get your proteinfrom lean sources.
And no, I don't care whatanybody's telling you right now.
There's these idiots onlineright now saying, this is what
we look like when we eat eggsand beef and hamburger.
And they're like these jackedguys.
It's like, that's not why youlook like that, but go ahead and

(15:45):
tell yourself that.
Saturated fat is going to clogyour arteries.
I mean, every study in the worldhas shown that.
So, no, we don't need the beefper se because it's really high
in saturated fat.
Okay.
So, yes, it is a macronutrientwe need, but we only need it in
a certain balance.

(16:06):
15 to 30% of your diet roughlyshould be in the form of
protein.
15 to 30 percent.
All right.
If you get that, you have enoughprotein for growth and repair of
your endocrine system.
So not just your muscles, butalso the hormones help build and

(16:26):
repair the hormonal system.
So you don't need a lot, but weneed it in a balance of roughly
15 to 30 percent.
All right.
The next big boy iscarbohydrates.
Man, they are demonized still tothis day.
Look, carbs don't make you fat,okay?
Too many calories will make youfat.

(16:48):
All right, plain and simple.
If you eat too many carbs on topof too much everything else, of
course you're going to gainweight.
But if we eat everything inbalance and eat just what we
need, we are not going to gainweight.
So is it good to get that, likewhat some people will call

(17:10):
coffee from Starbucks?
You know, those smoothie things?
Well, no, because that smoothiedrink is like 500 calories,
mostly sugar.
But Rob, sugar isn't bad.
No, it's not bad in the rightquantity.
But most likely you're not usingit for exercise at the time or

(17:33):
right afterwards.
And most likely, if you'reeating those things or drinking
those things, you're probablyalso eating and drinking a lot
of other stuff too.
Okay.
So most likely you're addingthat on top of already a caloric
surplus.
All right.
And it's nothing but emptycalories because you're taking

(17:57):
in the sugar.
You're not exercising at thetime, nor did you just exercise.
Most likely, so you're justtaking in a lot of calories on
top of the calories you probablyalready ate.
Okay.
Carbs aren't bad.
Carbs are needed for energy.

(18:17):
They also have four calories pergram, just like protein.
Now, you do want to get themajority of your carbohydrates
from complex varieties such asrice, vegetables, whole grains,
things like that.
Why?

(18:38):
Because they have a lowerglycemic index, so they're more
likely to store as glycogen.
So we will store excesscarbohydrates in the form of
glycogen, not in the form offat, as long as we don't consume
too many.
Our body can store up to 500grams.

(19:01):
That's 2,000 calories ofcarbohydrates, as long as we
aren't taking in too many.
So if you're very active, you'regonna burn off the glycogen.
That's a good thing.
And then you can eat morecarbohydrates.
Isn't that cool?
So, like it is a total win-win.

(19:23):
But when we take in like a lotof carbs in the form of sugar,
we'll get an insulin spike, andwe may not store those
carbohydrates in the form ofglycogen unless we are really in
a depleted state, and that's notgood.
Okay.
So the moral of the story is weneed carbohydrates.

(19:43):
It's best to get good sources ofcarbohydrates, like complex
carbohydrates.
Basically, get them from realplants, things that grow in the
ground, and you should be okay.
All right.

(20:26):
Well, guess what?
The only energy your brain canuse for fuel is carbohydrate.
So if you're on nothing but, youknow, one of these fatkins diet,
you know.
And you're really low, low bloodsugar, and you're in that brain
fog, nothing's going to take youout of it.
And that's not healthy, right?
You can drive around like that.

(20:48):
I've had people come to the gymthat don't listen.
You know, yes, we get rubberball clients too that know
everything.
And oh, I can help you a littlebit with your diet.
No, no, no.
I'm following my friend Karendown at the mall.
You know, she's great.
You know, she's been battlingobesity her whole life, and she
really knows her stuff.
And uh, yeah, you heard me saythat right.

(21:08):
That's what we hear sometimes.
It's like, okay.
And so you get the rubber ballbounced right back at you.
So it's like, okay, go ahead.
I'm not, if you're not gonnalisten, I'm not gonna talk to
you about your diet.
And so they'll follow theseridiculous, super low-carb
diets, and they have no energy,they're in a brain fog all the
time, and the workouts suck, buthey, Karen told them it's good.

(21:29):
All right, not good, people.
All right, finally, the lastmacronutrient is fat.
Now, in in the 1980s, it was allabout low fat diets.
Anybody remember that?
Hopefully, there's some peopleout there that are old enough to
remember that.
Well, we have segued into lowcarb diets.

(21:53):
But back then, it was all aboutlow fat.
Now, in fairness to them, theywere thinking correctly in a way
because, see, fat has ninecalories per gram.
So a gram of fat has twice theamount of calories than a gram
of protein and carbs.
So people were thinking, youknow, so if we consume a lot

(22:15):
less fat, we're taking in lesscalories.
That is true.
But again, everything goes backto calories.
So what people ended up doingwas they ate as much of
everything else as they couldget their hands on, like, you
know, non-fat potato chips andall this stuff.
And so people just startedbinging on carbs, and then, you

(22:38):
know, carbs get the bad name.
But really, if people justlearned to eat within their
means, they'd be fine.
But that's not the lesson usAmericans like all the time.
And so we got fatter in the 80s.
People blame the carbs.
The reality is, you know, thebottom line is people were
eating too many calories becausethey believed what the media,

(23:00):
not the science, was tellingthem.
So fat has nine calories pergram.
It is broken down into freefatty acids in your bloodstream.
It's used for long-term energy.
We store extra fat as fat asadipose tissue for long-term

(23:23):
energy.
It also helps rebuild theendocrine system, and it's
critical to build many hormones.
So if you're on a very low-fatdiet, that's not healthy.
We do need to consume a low, notno, a low saturated fat diet.
But we shouldn't be on anultra-low fat diet.

(23:45):
We should consume enoughunsaturated, polyunsaturated
fats.
Basically, if you stick to plantfats, you're going to be fine
for the most part.
It's the animal fats that aresaturated, and that has been
linked to heart disease.
Only 10 to 30 percent of ourdiet, I'm sorry, 20 to 30

(24:09):
percent of our diet should be inthe form of fat.
20 to 30 percent.
Notice though, it's not 10%,it's not 5%.
We want to consume enough fat.
If we don't consume enough fat,it's not good for our skin, it's
not good for our hair, not goodfor our nails, not good for our
endocrine system.
We need to have it in a balance,and the proper balance is 20 to

(24:31):
30 percent.
All right, so both matter, as Isaid.
Both can be true at the sametime.
What we need to do is figure outhow many calories we need for
whatever our goals are, whetherit be to lose weight, gain
weight as in muscle, ormaintain.

(24:53):
We figure out what that numberis.
Then we go by the percentages ofa healthy diet.
Break it down.
I tend to go somewhere around25% on protein.
I tend to go around 55% on carbsfor me, and I tend to go around
20% or so on fat.

(25:15):
So we figure it out.
We stay in our ranges, we simplyfigure out the calories, we
multiply it by the percentage.
So, in other words, if we're at2,000 calories, we're gonna
multiply that by 0.25 forprotein, figure out how many
calories that is, and then wecan figure the grams.
Or even easier, if we log ourfood, our MyFitnessPal will tell

(25:40):
us our percentages as we eat,and then we can simply check it
and go, ooh, I'm consuming toomuch of this or not enough of
this, and fix it.
And yes, for many, many decadesand centuries, people got fine
were absolutely fine withoutlogging their food in these
apps.
So, yeah, we can use commonsense and know like one serving

(26:03):
of protein is going to beenough, one serving of good
carbohydrates, complex carbs isgoing to be enough with you know
making sure that we're nottotally eliminating fat
completely.
And we will probably hit thosemacros if we're really
conscious.
I do believe that once we havethe information, we start
looking in the right direction.

(26:25):
All right.
So, yes, people, macros matterand carbohydrates matter.
Thanks everybody for listeningto today's show.
I want to ask you to please hitautomatic download from wherever
you get your podcast from.
It really helps me and it reallyhelps the show.

(26:47):
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