There is a lot of nutrition noise out there, so understanding nutrition basics can be beneficial in making food choices that work best for your lifestyle and goals. This awareness supports your success long-term, which is why Education is one of our core pillars at Stronger U. Instead of telling you what to eat, your dedicated coach will teach you how to eat and equip you with the science-based knowledge you need to achieve and maintain results for the rest of your life.
Achieving your desired results is about more than the number of calories you consume but is also about getting the adequate amount of nutrients within those calories to fuel your specific body. More precisely, getting the nutrients that support your overall health, body composition, energy, performance, and more. These are referred to as macronutrients; being aware of the type and quantity you’re consuming is foundational to Stronger U’s nutritional approach.
Macronutrients, commonly called “macros,” support many essential functions in your body and are the primary source of energy that enters our bodies. Macros fall into these three categories:
PROTEINS
CARBOHYDRATES
FATS
Let’s take a closer look at the three macro types and the role each plays in your nutrition.
Protein
4 calories/gram
Protein’s primary function is to build new muscle and repair your existing muscle. It’s made up of long chains of amino acids, also known as the “building blocks” of your body. Protein is essential in fat loss.
Some protein sources include: chicken breast, lean ground meat, pork tenderloin, egg whites, Greek yogurt, legumes, and tofu.
Carbohydrate
4 calories/gram
Carbohydrates serve as one of the body’s primary sources of energy. The carbohydrates we eat in food are broken down to glucose (a type of sugar) that your body uses as fuel for workouts and daily energy needs. Carbs are found in food in the form of sugars and fibers.
Some carbohydrate sources include: fruits, vegetables, and grains.
Fat
9 calories/gram
The most concentrated form of energy, providing twice as much energy per gram compared to protein and carbs. When we eat more energy than we need from any type of macronutrient, our body stores much of that excess energy as fat. Fat serves as the primary fuel for our bodies when we are at rest and supports some of our energy needs during activities. Fat helps with satiety, absorption and transportation of nutrients, is a component in many physiological processes and is required to produce various hormones.
Some sources of foods high in fat include: oils, butter, full-fat dairy, and many cuts of meat.
At Stronger U, our method for helping you move toward your health, body composition, and performance goals begins by providing you with individualized daily macronutrient targets. Your Stronger U coach works with you one-on-one to create a custom nutrition strategy by getting to know you, your lifestyle, health condition(s), and preferences. This level of personalization helps them identify the right balance of macronutrients for you, which they input into your Stronger U app’s nutrition tracker. There, you can easily log your food and check your progress. Over time, as your goals evolve, your coach may adjust your macronutrient targets accordingly.
Tracking your food intake to encourage you to eat a specific amount of each macro can be a healthy and effective method for sustainable results. Unlike most diets or weight-loss programs that restrict certain foods or eliminate specific macros, our approach, Structured Flexibility, allows you to enjoy a variety of foods within specific guidelines. We don’t expect our members to track forever, but it’s an excellent tool for building awareness and learning how to eat to achieve your goals.
Want to learn more about macronutrients, boost your nutrition IQ and get support from an experienced Registered Dietitian or Certified Nutrition Coach? Join Stronger U now.
