Nutrition Basics #1: Calories
One question I get all the time from patients and training clients is: “What should I be taking to help me heal?”
Should I be taking creatine?
Greens powder?
BPC-157?
PRP?
Peptides?
These questions always warrant a deeper conversation. Tell me about what you are already doing right now. Then let’s talk about adding supplementation.
You HAVE to bake the cake before you can add the toppings. Taking supplements when you aren’t hitting your protein and hydration goal is like putting sprinkles on a cake with no icing. Pretty pointless!!
Let’s talk about the basics, and we’ll break it down. These are the three main things I would focus on when trying to heal tissues, AND when focusing on fat loss/muscle gain.
1. Calories
2. Protein
3. Hydration
Today let’s talk about the biggest diet hot topic. Calories.
Your caloric intake needs to match the demands of what you are putting your body through. A lot of the time we have NO idea how many calories we are putting in our bodies, or how many calories we actually need.
If you have no idea where to start, a calorie calculator can give you a rough estimate of your daily energy needs. Keep in mind that these calculators are estimates, not exact numbers, and your actual needs will vary based on your activity level and goals. Remember to take your activity level into account when using this calculator. https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html
When healing (especially after surgery and for chronic pain patients) – unless weight loss is part of your treatment plan, now is NOT necessarily the time to be focusing on weight loss. Now is the time to focus on healing. Cutting your calories too low can send the body into a spiral that takes way longer to heal than necessary. Let’s heal first, then worry about the rest later. How does the body heal? It needs nutrients, energy, and building blocks to put itself back together. If you're consistently under-fueling, your body may not have the energy it needs to support optimal recovery and tissue healing.
When it comes to caloric intake, most people who are trying to lose weight go TOO aggressive TOO fast. This does 2 things: 1st off, decreases your performance and ability to recover. You literally feel like you are starving yourself. 2nd, sets the goal WAY too high at a level that is not sustainable for long periods of time. These are the people who are able to lose 10lbs in 3 weeks but instantly gain it back the second they stop focusing on calories or “dieting”. The goal should be to lose in a sustainable way.
Which sounds better:
1. Lose 20lbs over a 5 month period and KEEP the weight off
2. Lose 20lbs in a 2 month period and gain it back 2 months later!
If you google general weight loss guidelines, you will typically see the recommendation to lose 1-3lbs per week. This recommendation is absolutely not for everyone.
Someone who is 250lbs will have a much easier time losing weight fast than someone who is 150lbs. The more weight you have to lose, the easier you will lose it. The earlier you are in your weight loss journey, the easier you will lose it. The more consistent you are with tracking calories, the easier you will lose it.
0.5-2lbs per week is a more sustainable and achievable goal to perform over weeks-months at a time. It is normal to have periods of hunger, and even to go to sleep slightly hungry, but you shouldn’t feel like you are putting yourself in starvation mode.
In summary, when you are in healing mode, make sure you are eating ENOUGH calories. When you are in weight loss mode, make sure you are doing it the SUSTAINABLE way.
So should I be taking supplements when trying to support healing? Maybe. But before we talk about adding the toppings, let’s make sure you bake the cake.
This is part 1 of our nutrition basics series. Next month, we tackle Protein intake. How much should I be eating, and how on earth am I supposed to do hit my goal every day?