How to Balance Protein, Carbs and Fat for Fat Loss

Nikkiey: Real quick, if you want to learn more about macronutrients and understand the methodology of how they can help you achieve your body composition goals of changing the way your body looks, I put together a free 15-minute training where I dive into macronutrients and how you can control your body for the rest of your life with them. That link is in the description below. Click on it after listening to the show today. Macronutrients are the main nutrients that our bodies require in larger amounts.

Yo, yo, yo. What is going on, you guys? Welcome back to The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkiey Stott, co-founder of WarriorBabe. On this podcast, we talk about mindset, methodologies, and tactics that will help you lose body fat, build muscle, be strong, and feel insanely confident. I'm your host, Nikkiey Stott, and welcome to episode number 86, where we're going to talk about balancing macronutrients.

I'm going to deep dive into the science behind protein, carb, and fat metabolism for the overarching goal of you changing your body composition. So we're going to get a little bit science-y like I did in the previous podcast, but I'm going to try to explain these terms in layman's terms so you understand the knowledge I'm providing you. And then, most importantly, you can take this information and apply it for yourself.

Because if I talk about it at a science level with terminology that you don't understand, you're going to become a deer in headlights, right? So my goal for this podcast, like the previous podcast, is to bring science and methodologies to you guys, but speak to it in a way that you will all understand, okay? So we're going to break it down into chunks. First, we're going to do a brief overview of macronutrients. Then I'm going to dive into the nutritional energy values behind these macronutrients. Then we're going to speak to protein metabolism, carb metabolism, and fat metabolism, and then we're going to close out the podcast, okay?

So that's what you can expect from this podcast today, you guys. And my overarching goal, second to you understanding this, is that you also understand how important nutrition is for the overall goal of changing your body composition. My argument is that you need all three of these macronutrients, okay? You can't just have one and then the other and eliminate one of them. While it may work for a short period of time, it is not sustainable for the long term.

And you guys all know that I preach long-term sustainability and longevity. Sure, you getting to the results you want with your body composition, but also the overall health of being able to maintain your body composition through your life, okay?

So let's first talk about an overview of macronutrients. Macronutrients are the main nutrients that our bodies require in larger amounts. They include carbohydrates, protein, and fats. All three of those are primarily responsible for providing your body the energy that it needs, second to also getting the results that you want. And you have to eat enough of these macronutrients, and in good quality from foods, in order to create really solid energy and to feel the results that you want.

Now, the second thing I want to speak to you guys about is the nutritional energy values that come from each of them. Protein and carbs both provide about four calories per gram, right? So when you look at a nutrition label on a box and it says there's 35 grams of carbohydrates, four calories per gram make up the overall calories coming from those carbohydrates. So you would just take 35 times four, and that would be the overall calories coming from carbohydrates. Fats provide nine calories per gram, which is more than twice the energy provided by proteins or carbohydrates.

And then same thing, right? If there's 10 grams of fat on the nutrition label, you would multiply that by nine, and that makes up the overall calorie number coming from fats in that specific meal.

Then there's alcohol. This is not a macronutrient, but it's worth mentioning. Alcohol provides about seven calories per gram. I've talked about this on social media. There's a really trending reel of mine that popped off where I talk about the Truly cans, and how a lot of these alcoholic beverages have two grams of carbs.

People are forgetting the fact that there are 100 calories inside a can of Truly. If you just use the math I just described, two grams of carbs would mean there are only eight calories in the entire can, which is false, because there are 100 calories. The rest is coming from the alcohol, which isn't on the macronutrient part of the label, and that has about seven calories per gram. So take that into consideration, you guys, when you're drinking alcohol. It says it on the nutrition label; it's just not clearly laid out for you to understand. Why? I have no idea.

Understanding these caloric values, you guys, is so essential for anyone looking to manipulate their body composition. It helps you allocate your calorie intake based on your specific goals, whether that's building muscle or fat loss, right? Say your overall calorie goal is 1,800, we'll just use that as an example. Then you have the macronutrient makeup of that 1,800, which should be distributed toward whatever your goal may be.

Or you may be eating a little bit more because you're trying to build more muscle, right? Or maintaining, X, Y, and Z. The overall calorie number would be what you're focusing on, but the macronutrients that make it up are the most important thing when it comes to overall body composition and getting the results that you want.

Okay, now let's dive into protein metabolism, and this one is just so important, you guys. I'm going to break it down into three ways the body uses protein. And then I'm going to debunk a myth that has been heavily weighed on in the fitness industry that is just not true. I mean, it has some truth to it, but a lot of the people I'm speaking to right now are healthy individuals, so I'm going to debunk it in relation to healthy individuals.

So, protein metabolism. First and foremost, protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs and fats, meaning the body uses more energy to digest and absorb proteins compared to the other macronutrients.

I've talked about this in previous podcasts where I highlighted how important protein is. This can be very beneficial for fat management and weight management. Consuming more protein can actually boost your metabolism and increase the number of calories burned. Right there should be the reason why you are all consuming more protein. That should be a huge selling factor for protein, right? You boost your metabolism by eating more protein because of the thermic effect it has, and it increases the number of calories burned. No brainer, right?

Another thing is that proteins have essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and of the 20 amino acids, nine are considered essential because the body cannot produce them on its own. So when you're consuming protein, you're consuming enough EAAs, which is critical for muscle growth and repair. And a big thing in the fitness space, with women trying to get the results they want, is that they're not eating enough protein.

And if you're not eating enough protein, you're not getting the benefits of these EAAs, which are so important when you want a toned body and you're working out and doing strength training. When you're in the gym, you're breaking down muscle fibers, and EAAs play a critical role in muscle growth and repair after that workout. Those are two big things, you guys. So make sure you're eating protein.

The third thing that goes on inside your body when you eat protein is that your body breaks it down into small parts, the amino acids I just mentioned.

The body either uses these amino acids to build and repair things like muscles, or to get energy. But most importantly, and this leads me into the myth I have to debunk, some of these amino acids that aren't used become waste, which gets turned into something called urea, and that is removed from the body when you pee. It's excreted through the kidneys. And the thing that has been predominant in the fitness space is that if you eat too much protein, it can cause kidney damage.

I just want to debunk the shit out of that, because it is half true and more entirely false. First and foremost, the origin of this myth came from existing kidney disease. It's true that people with existing kidney disease are often advised by their doctor to limit their protein intake. That is completely true. That's because their kidneys may already have trouble filtering out the waste products from the protein metabolism I'm talking about. So for them, it can actually harm the kidneys. But the majority of women I'm speaking to, the majority of you guys, are healthy individuals, right?

The science and research behind this is that a vast majority of studies on individuals with healthy kidneys show that protein intake does not have detrimental effects on kidney function. The kidneys are incredibly adaptable and capable organs. Which leads to what I'm going to talk about now: increased filtration rate. When you eat more protein, it causes the kidneys to filter more blood per minute. This is known as GFR. Some people have interpreted this to mean the kidneys need to work harder, and thought it might lead to potential damage.

However, this increased GFR in response to protein is a normal adaptive mechanism, and it doesn't indicate kidney damage or affect the kidneys at all. So, like I said, the kidneys are incredibly adaptable and capable organs, and with the increased filtration rate from a high-protein diet, they remain fully capable of doing their job and filtering.

So if you're working out, if you're very active, if you're incorporating this type of exercise into your routine, your body is moving and pumping blood through all the necessary organs, the kidneys being one of them. And they're going to filter waste out of your body in a normal and totally capable way. So I want to debunk that entirely, and also speak to long-term studies that have evaluated the long-term effects of high protein intake in healthy individuals.

They have also not shown a clear connection between protein consumption and kidney damage. So in layman's terms, they're not correlated. What people say about kidney damage and high protein consumption, studies have shown that it's not connected. So I just want to debunk that myth entirely with you guys. Done. Dusted. All right, that's everything when it comes to protein metabolism.

Hey, guys, I love so much that you're listening to this podcast. If you ever want the video version, which usually has more effects and all that good stuff for those of you who are visual learners, check out the WarriorBabe YouTube channel. Either way, keep enjoying the show.

Now I want to break down carbohydrate metabolism, and next, fat metabolism. So, carbohydrate metabolism. Carbs come from foods like bread, pasta, all the sugary stuff, right? They're broken down into a simple sugar called glucose, and this glucose is like fuel for the body.

It's sent around in your blood and provides energy to your cells, and first and foremost your brain. If you have more glucose than you need right away, the body stores it for later in the liver and in your muscles. Think of it as an analogy of keeping some fuel in reserve. Then when your body needs that fuel, that energy, the stored glucose is brought back out of the liver and your muscles to provide you energy.

So that's really, in layman's terms, how carbohydrates get metabolized throughout the body. But most importantly, they're so important for overall energy function throughout your body, and most of all for the energy function of your brain. Your brain loves carbohydrates. Your brain fuels off the energy from carbohydrates. So if you've ever dabbled in diets that restrict or eliminate carbohydrates, or you're just eating low carb, you've probably experienced brain fog.

That's because the energy that gets sent around from metabolizing carbohydrates provides energy to your cells and your brain. So if you have a shortage of that, you're going to experience the brain fog you've probably experienced before if you've dabbled in those things. So, like I said at the beginning of the podcast, you can have these things in moderation, right? In a balanced way. The overarching goal of this podcast today is to speak about balancing macronutrients. You need enough protein, right?

For what I already spoke to. You need carbohydrates, and then you need fats, which I'm going to dive into next. But you don't need to eliminate any one of them. They each do a specific thing for your body and for overall body composition. So you don't want to eliminate one of them. Anyway, end of my rant there.

So let's move into fat metabolism. Fat metabolism comes into play when you eat fats, from foods like oils, meats, butter, all the things that have fats on the nutrition label, right?

Your body breaks them down into smaller parts that can be burned as fuel in your cells. So both carbohydrates and fat provide energy to the body. It's been noted recently in the industry that you can just focus on your protein and let your fat and carbohydrates fluctuate, right? While I stand behind that, I also think it's important that people make sure they're consuming enough carbohydrates and enough fats. Because you may experience a lack of calories in ways that your body is going to rebel against, with respect to the activities you're doing or even the results you're seeking.

Again, same thing as with carbohydrates. If your body has more energy than it needs right now, it will store some of it as fat, right? It's like saving money in the bank, but think of it as saving energy in the bank. And when you don't eat many carbs, like I spoke to, your body can and will, over time, adapt and break into an alternative energy source from fats, which are called ketones. It takes a while to get to this, right? And this has also been talked about with the keto diet.

That's another reason I don't see sustainability behind it, because you have to put your body through days, even weeks, to get into a ketone state, and then you consume a carbohydrate and you break it, right? So speaking to longevity, you don't want to go without carbohydrates for the rest of your life. There's no sustainability to that. That's why I think it's really important to understand how these things work and how they're metabolized throughout your body. Let's say you have a day where you're lower on carbohydrates. You're probably going to feel it in your brain with brain fog.

But if you keep that going, your body will search for an alternative energy source and tap into it. I can speak to this from experience. When I was bodybuilding, there was a point where my carbs were very, very low. And after weeks on end, which is why I said what I said before, my body tapped into this alternative energy source coming from fat stores, right?

It tapped into that bank of stored energy to fuel my body with the energy it needed. And at that point, my fat stores were very low too, which is what gives you the physique you have when you step on stage. But the overarching argument I'm making here is that there's no need to eliminate either of those two. You can focus on having enough protein, right? But then also make sure that the rest of your intake comes pretty equally from fats and carbohydrates, or maybe a bit more from one or the other.

Now, I'm speaking in broad terms here. I don't need anybody coming back to me and saying, "Nikkiey, but we have this and we have that." Those are specific to your goals, right? We're able to narrow down the type of macronutrients you should be consuming based on your body composition, your lifestyle and all of these things. But understand from a broad perspective that this is possible in terms of body composition and getting the results you want. And understand that with these two macronutrients, if you're afraid of carbohydrates, you shouldn't drop them so that only 10% comes from carbohydrates and then make 60% come from fats.

I ain't about that. You want to make sure your protein intake is set in terms of your body weight, and you're getting that in grams per day. Then the other two percentages fluctuate in a way that fuels your body appropriately, that's healthy, right? And sustainable, but that also gets you the results you're seeking. Overarching, that explains and dives into the science of balancing macros.

Understanding the metabolism behind protein, behind carbohydrates, and behind fats, especially when it comes to having the body composition you want. You need all three of them, okay? And I think my argument was pretty clean throughout this entire podcast. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I hope you got a few more light bulbs going off in your head about why these macronutrients are so important and what they're doing inside your body when you consume them.

And I will see you in the next episode. Peace out, you guys.

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