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You just have to spend 15 minutes scrolling through Instagram to see that I ’ m a huge advocate of the flexible dieting approach . At the end of the day , all that matters is calories in , versus calories out . If you want to lose weight , consume less calories than you burn . If you want to gain wait , consume more calories than you burn . If you want to maintain your weight , then eat the same amount of calories that you need to function . Pretty simple , hey ? Well , not quite , but I ’ ll take this topic in stages … Breaking It Down
Okay so food is made up of macronutrients and micronutrients . Our bodies are dependent on both , but the calories come from the macronutrients , which consist of protein , fats and carbs . The part where it gets a bit tricky is that they are equal to different calories :
• 1 gram of protein equals 4 calories
• 1 gram of carbs equals 4 calories
• 1 gram of fat equals 9 calories
So , if I make myself a mug-cake that has 28 grams
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of protein , 8 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fat , it would look a little something like this : ( 28 x 4 ) + ( 8 x 4 ) + ( 3 x 9 ) = 171 calories … which is probably the equivalent to a small portion of grilled chicken and some steamed broccoli . So , if I have a craving for some cake , I have learnt that I can try substitute it with all the grilled chicken and broccoli I want , but nine out of 10 times I ’ m going to give in and have the cake over and above my healthy substitutions . As I see it , the simple solution is to find a way to include the cake into my diet , and make it guilt free .
Being Myself
I ’ ve come to terms with the fact that I ’ m not a ‘ single square of dark chocolate ’ kinda girl . I ’ m an ‘ ice cream and waffles ’ kinda girl … so I have ice cream , waffles , chocolate and cookies every single day . Of course , I still eat grilled chicken and steamed broccoli . Those foods are important , but in saying that , so is treating yourself . Thankfully , I have learnt how to bulk up my meals , because nobody enjoys being hungry or craving things , especially if there is a way you could eat all that you want to eat while guaranteeing that you were full , cravings were satisfied , and you have optimised your micronutrient intake , too .
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Jo Hill is a Durbanbased baking enthusiast with two self-confessed addictions : Fitness and chocolate . She has made it her mission in life to show the world that it is possible to have the best of both worlds . The popularity of her healthy recipes led to her creating her popular Facebook page and blog called Pull ups and Peanut butter , where she shares her recipes for clean , healthy and diet-friendly treats . More info at www . pullupsandpeanutbutter . co . za |
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