fat. Also keep in mind that your body is always adapting to that
deficit, which requires gradual calorie reduction—up to a point.
Your next questions may be, “So how many grams of carbs
do I need?” That ideal amount is activity dependent—as is the
p e rcentages of protein and fats you should eat. For example,
the body stores 300 to 400 grams of glycogen (carbs). The
amount of carbohydrates you should eat each day depends on
how much you burn. If you lift weights and/or perform cardio,
you may need to eat up to 200 grams of carbs in a 24-hour
period to replenish what you burned and keep your body
functioning norm a l l y, but probably no more than that. Any
amount you take in above what you burn is considered excess
e n e rgy and can be stored as bodyfat. (Remember, your body
also stores carbs as bodyfat if you eat too much at one sitting.
Keep your meals small and frequent.) And if you do zero
intense glycogen-burning activity (couch potato), your carb
intake should be significantly lower, as what you take in that
isn’t used for immediate energy will be stored as—you guessed
it—ugly bodyfat. Think of carbs as energy for activity, but also
consider that you need fruits and vegetables for health, so you
can’t restrict them too much. You can, however, eat them when
your metabolism is highest, like before noon and after your
workout, and eat only enough to partially fuel between-meal
activity so your body is forced to dip into its bodyfat stores.
What About Protein and Fat?
P rotein intake, like carbs, is also activity dependent. If you
do lots of work that breaks down muscle tissue—like lifting
weights or wrestling aligators—you need many more grams of
p rotein than sedentary individuals. A good rule of thumb is
about one gram per pound of bodyweight, and you want to
spread it out over the course of your day. Try to get about 20 to
40 grams at each meal so that the building blocks are readily
available at all times for muscle growth.
Fat is also activity dependent, although less so than the
other two macronutrients, carbs and protein, because it’s used