Macro-Cycling Part 1 of 5

With so many different dieting strategies out there, sometimes it’s hard to tell which are really effective, and which are just heresay. Although proponents of every diet system from low carb to low protein exist, we can’t listen to just one opinionated individual. It is important to seek out people who are knowledgeable and experienced regarding different types of nutritional approaches when we make decisions about how to design our own eating plans.

One thing that I see as a red flag waving wildly against all of the so called “nutrition experts” out there is the fact that they rarely agree with any generalized, healthy eating strategy. Most people who claim to be experts in the field aren’t really “experts” at all. From YouTube gurus who claim to know everything under the sun to forum trolls who hang out online hoping to get an oppurtunity to “sound smart”, there are a lot of people that are throwing out a lot of misinformation. It is often these very people who live by some strange code where they only eat a limited number of foods that fall into their unique, albeit ineffective diet. Not to mention, they purport to have received tremendous results from their approach, and they want you to try it as well!

Thanks, but no thanks buddy.

While I’m going to leave the googling to the kids, I still hope that some of them have luck on their side and land on a well written, accurate article when they search “how to get a six pack.”…

Before wasting anymore time on the wishy washy mention of the ineptitude of internet “experts” and the inordinate amount of damage they cause to the largely naieve public, I’ll get to my point.

It’s this: There is a diet strategy out there that will work for you. Seriously.

Not only that, but it’s method could be called easy, effective, — even healthy. What’s more, it involves eating a number of different foods. It is based on the idea that variety is good. For this reason, it is not only doable in the short term, but sustainable for the long haul. Maybe even forever. It is a relatively new system. It is new not in that it hasn’t been thought of before. On the contrary, it has been theorized about for years, and even practiced for quite a while by people “in the know.” It is simply “new” in that it is just starting to gain some momentum with the general public, building up steam as a reliable and scaleable dieting model.

The suspense is built….so what is it??

The approach is referred to as “Macro-cycling.”  Which is?…

It is a strategy based on the idea that different types of macro nutrients (carbs, fats, and proteins) need to be consumed systematically at different times, in different amounts depending on a number of factors. It is this “cycling” of the nutrients that makes it effective. Essentially it is all about giving your body what it needs at a particular time and nothing more.

Sound complicated? It’s not. While some people who have written on the topic have made it a lot more confusing than it needs to be, my goal here is to give you the basics and let you roll with them. As long as you understand the basic principles behind the approach, you can figure out the rest. In the next part of this post I’ll get into the science of macro cycling and how it can help you improve your health and your body.