The Basics
Macronutrients
Explained Simply
Your body runs on three macronutrients — protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Each serves a different function and all three are necessary. The proportion in which you eat them determines your body composition over time.
Protein — The Most Important Macro
Protein builds and repairs muscle tissue. It keeps you full longer than carbs or fats. It has a higher thermic effect — your body burns more calories digesting protein than other macros. And critically, it prevents muscle loss during a calorie deficit. Best sources: chicken, fish, eggs, beef, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, legumes.
Carbohydrates — Your Training Fuel
Carbohydrates are the body's preferred energy source for high-intensity exercise. Reducing carbs too aggressively makes training feel terrible and reduces performance. The key is choosing quality sources — rice, oats, potatoes, fruit, whole grains — and timing them around training when they're most useful.
Fats — Essential, Not Optional
Dietary fat is essential for hormonal health, vitamin absorption, and brain function. Fat does not make you fat — excess calories do. Healthy fat sources: avocado, olive oil, nuts, eggs, fatty fish. Keep fat intake moderate — 0.8–1g per kg of bodyweight — and prioritise unsaturated sources.
The order of priority for nutrition: total calories first, protein second, carbohydrates and fats third. Get the first two right consistently and the specific foods matter far less than most people think.
Calorie Calculation
Finding Your
Number
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Pre-Workout
What to Eat Before Training
1.5–2 hours before: carbohydrates + protein. Rice and chicken, oats and eggs, Greek yogurt and fruit. The carbs fuel the session. The protein starts the repair process before you've even started training.
Post-Workout
What to Eat After Training
Within 1–2 hours: protein + carbohydrates. Fish and potatoes, chicken and rice, protein shake with banana. Protein repairs muscle. Carbs replenish glycogen stores depleted during the session.
Daily
The 3 Non-Negotiables
1. Protein at every meal. 2. No liquid calories — this means water, black coffee, and herbal tea only. Cut out all sugary coffees, juices, soft drinks, energy drinks, and alcohol. People are often shocked by how many calories they drink without realising — a latte with sugar, a glass of juice, and a soft drink can easily add 400–500 hidden calories to your day. Eliminating liquid calories alone produces visible results for most people within weeks. 3. Consistency across all 7 days. These three rules alone produce significant results for most people.
Body Recomposition
Lose Fat and Build
Muscle Simultaneously
Body recomposition — losing fat and building muscle at the same time — is achievable, particularly for beginners and those returning to training after a break. It requires eating at or very slightly below maintenance calories with high protein intake (1.8–2.2g per kg) and consistent strength training.
Progress is slower than dedicated bulking or cutting phases, but the result is a body that changes in composition — leaner, more defined, stronger — without the scale necessarily moving dramatically. This is why measurements and photos matter more than scale weight during recomposition.
Common Questions
Nutrition
Questions Answered
For someone training to build muscle or lose fat, the target is 1.6–2.2g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day. For a 70kg person that's 112–154g daily. Most people eating normally consume 50–70g — less than half of what's needed. Protein at every meal is the single most impactful nutritional change for body composition.
Eat a meal containing carbohydrates and protein 1.5–2 hours before training. Good options: chicken and rice, Greek yogurt and fruit, oats with eggs. Carbohydrates fuel the workout. Protein supports muscle repair. Avoid very high fat or high fiber meals immediately before training as they can cause discomfort.
After training, prioritise protein and carbohydrates within 1–2 hours. Protein initiates muscle repair. Carbohydrates replenish glycogen stores. Good options: chicken and rice, fish and potatoes, Greek yogurt with fruit. Overall daily protein intake matters more than precise post-workout timing.
Yes — called body recomposition. It's most achievable for beginners or those returning after a break. It requires eating at or very slightly below maintenance calories with high protein intake and consistent strength training. Progress is slower than focused phases but it's a valid approach for many people.
Not permanently — but tracking for 2–4 weeks is valuable for understanding portion sizes. Many people achieve significant fat loss simply by following consistent rules: protein at every meal, no liquid calories, no processed snacks, and consistent eating across all seven days including weekends.