NURTURING NUTRITION
There is a reason you hear bikini competitors
spouting their macro counts like some kind
of mantra – they really do live by them.
Tramontana describes tracking macronutrients
(protein, fats and carbs, in grams) as a more
advanced version of counting calories.
“Calorie counting works on the theory
that if I eat an apple, then it’s going to take
the same amount of energy for me to digest
that apple, as if you ate it, when really, that’s
not true. It’s quite a reductive mechanism,”
says Tramontana.
“The different macronutrients are all going
to have a different effect on your body, and
all bodies are going to need different levels
of them. Macros is just about going that
extra step.”
Showcasing how far technology has come,
I was given a phone app where I could record
my meals for the day and the macronutrients
for each meal were calculated automatically.
Specific macro targets – based on my lean
muscle mass, current weight, daily activity
level and my goal – needed to be ‘hit’ within
a 10-gram range. Idiot-proof, the numbers
turned green as soon as I was within the
right levels.
How much you eat is one half of the
equation; what you eat is the other. I was
coached through ‘good’ food choices: lean
proteins from meats and eggs, ‘good’ fats
such as coconut oil and flax seeds, and carbs
mostly from lower GI (energy) foods such as
starchy vegetables and brown rice. I had to
say goodbye to my milky morning coffee and
white bread.
I was eating six macro-balanced meals a
day, requiring plenty of preparation. To make
things easier, I would make meals two and
four, and meals three and six, fairly similar.
I would do a big cook-up on Sunday when
I had more time, given I had to weigh and
portion everything. I would keep the diet
plan interesting by changing up my protein
sources and adding different spices or herbs – I
became obsessed with roasted sweet potato
with a sprinkle of rosemary.
Eating regularly and in larger amounts
meant bigger and more expensive trips to the
shops, and counting my macros made eating
out difficult. I learnt that buying in bulk from
the local markets cut the price of food by at
least a quarter, and I began downloading the
restaurant menu in advance so I could take
the dinner calories into account. Saying no
to the copious bottles of wine with the girls
was difficult but, by the sixth week, it became
second nature.
Within days of the new eating program
I was less bloated and my energy levels were
consistent – no 3pm sugar-level slump. Sucked
in by popular anti-carb myths, I had been
seriously undereating; once I introduced
starchy vegetables and brownricebackinto
my breakfasts and lunches, I found I wasn’t
craving sugars or devouring the fridge in one
sitting. I felt lighter, leaner and my workout
intensity improved.USE IT:NUTRITION KNOWHOW
- PLAN AND PREPARE:the fitness
champs ensure their balanced meals are
pre-prepped to avoid getting hungry and
reaching for an unhealthy meal. Do a big
cook-up once or twice a week and carry
healthy meals and snacks on your person
to help avoid temptation. - HAVE THE MAJORITY OF YOUR HIGH-
ENERGY CARBS EARLIER IN THE DAY:
think your first three meals. Front loading
your carbs provides energy for the day
ahead and can offer clues as to how well
your body responds to particular types
and amounts of carbs. - EAT REGULARLY: think every two to
three hours. Eating regularly helps to
manage your hunger hormones ghrelin
and leptin, dousing the temptation to
reach for that sugary chocolate bar.- DON’T BE AFRAID OF HUNGER; BE
AFRAID OF UNDEREATING: competitors
are hungry all the time because they’re
training hard and their metabolism is
in overdrive. Hunger is a good sign – as
long as you can eat in response and don’t
feel deprived. Nourish your body and
eat the calories that your body needs to
function effectively. - SUPPLEMENT SMART: don’t go
spending your hard-earned cash on a
mountain of sups you don’t necessarily
need. The pros supplement for their
specific goals, current body composition
and deficiencies. Start with a high-quality
multivitamin and fish oil tablet, and then
work with your trainer to fill the gaps.
TRAIN LIKE A TYRANT –
OR, DON’T
Pre-coach, I was training every day. I
woke up at 5:30am every morning to go
for a sprint session and I trained weights
at least five times a week, usually straight
after work. I figured the more I did, and
the harder I worked, the quicker my results
would be. I laughed at the idea of a recovery
session or stretching, let alone a walk
around the block as my cardio.
Post-coach, everything changed. The
pros work hard to reach their goals, some of
them training for up to three hours a day –but goals is the crucial word. To facilitate fat
loss, I was put on a nutrition plan that met
my calorie needs for the day and the deficit
needed for fat burn was created through
cardio. And not just any cardio – my high-
intensity sessions were cut down to just 70
minutes per week, which I spread out over
three to four sessions (about 20 minutes at
a time). The rest? Over three hours a week
of fasted walking! Yes, walking. At first, I
felt bored and lazy with the routine, and
sceptical of the results that I could achieve