ABOUT
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?
You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Hi, I'm Cait. I created this blog/website to document my progress as I take on a personal health and fitness initiative to increase my metabolic rate through a process called reverse dieting (using the IIFYM/flexible dieting approach). If you don't know what the heck that means, don't worry. I'll be defining those important terms first and then tell you a little bit about myself and the purpose of The Macro Experiment. :)
Basically, I'm doing an experiment on my own body and posting all the stats online as a resource for others. I hope to eat a LOT more and not gain body fat. Sounds ABSURD right? Read on!
Basically, I'm doing an experiment on my own body and posting all the stats online as a resource for others. I hope to eat a LOT more and not gain body fat. Sounds ABSURD right? Read on!
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**UPDATE 12/3/14
THE MACRO EXPERIMENT: RESULTS In 3 months (6/11/14-9/10/14), I was able to increase my calories from 947 to 1650 (700+) without gaining weight or body fat. Here is my final reverse diet data graphed out on the right. As you can see, as my calories increase at a slow and steady rate, body fat and weight remain constant. I realize there are different beliefs/opinions about the "optimal" speed of reverse dieting. It's actually quite the hot topic right now. My personal belief is this: Everyone is unique with individual goals and physical/psychological states. Therefore, "optimal" approaches to meet goals will vary. For instance, I had been in a severe caloric deficit for 6 years straight so my goal in reverse dieting was mainly to be able to eat more without gaining excess body fat. Certainly, a seasoned bodybuilder may have different goals or at least a different prioritization of goals than me. The fact of the matter is there is currently (as of 12/3/2014) no peer-reviewed research on reverse dieting. That was my entire premise of this experiment. Not that this compares AT ALL to peer-reviewed research, but I am so passionate about helping others with similar issues and fears as I once had. I believe this experiment will achieve that goal. :) I want you to know that if I can do it, you can do it. And here is the data to prove it. Please check out the "metab rehab" section for a simple, NO B.S., totally free, step-by-step guide on how to do it yourself. And if you ever have any questions, please do NOT hesitate to contact me! It would be my pleasure to help you. <3 |
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IMPORTANT TERMS
Macronutrients (Macros) - Nutrients our bodies require in large (macro) amounts. Everyone has a unique number of calories that he/she can eat every day to maintain the same body weight. This is the total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) which is calculated by factors such as gender, age, height, weight, and activity level. The TDEE is made up of the three main macronutrients: Protein (4 calories/gram), Carbs (4 calories/gram), and Fat (9 calories/gram). Technically, alcohol is also a macronutrient (7 calories/gram), but we won't worry about that for now.
Micronutrients - Nutrients our bodies require in smaller amounts such as vitamins and minerals.
IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros)/Flexible Dieting/Counting Macros (all of these terms are synonymous) - A food tracking method that accounts for daily macronutrient (carbs, protein, and fat) intake primarily used tweak one's physique/body composition. This method allows one to eat pretty much anything he/she wishes, as long as it is accounted for in the macronutrient intake. Many misinterpret or write this approach off because it allows for "dirty" food. The truth is, there is no such thing as "clean" or "dirty" food. Dr. Layne Norton does an excellent job of explaining that fact in this video. By default, a flexible dieter will be eating mostly what is said to be "clean" foods, while accounting for fiber and micronutrient needs as well. I try to eat around 80% "clean" incorporating mostly unprocessed foods, fruits and vegetables into my diet. Matty Fusaro explains it very well in this video. It seems difficult, but it's actually crazy easy. All you really need is a food scale, a brain, a little willpower, and a tracking app (like MyFitnessPal).
Metabolic Adaptation/Adaptive Thermogenesis/"Starvation Mode" - After extended periods of caloric restriction, the body adapts to lower calories to achieve homeostasis. The body becomes extremely efficient at using energy and "holding onto" calories due to the lack of energy supply, making fat/weight loss difficult.
Reverse Dieting - The process of slowly increasing calories above maintenance levels after extended periods of caloric restriction to increase the metabolic rate while limiting fat and weight gain (AKA eat a ton more and not gain any weight). The goal is to max out one's metabolic capacity so that fat loss is more easily achieved. Usually carbs and fats are added during this process (mostly carbs) as protein remains relatively constant (usually around 1g/lb body weight). It varies depending on individual factors, but it usually only takes a few months to complete this process of maxing out metabolic rate.
Please check out the resource page for a deeper explanation.
MY STORY
Macronutrients (Macros) - Nutrients our bodies require in large (macro) amounts. Everyone has a unique number of calories that he/she can eat every day to maintain the same body weight. This is the total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) which is calculated by factors such as gender, age, height, weight, and activity level. The TDEE is made up of the three main macronutrients: Protein (4 calories/gram), Carbs (4 calories/gram), and Fat (9 calories/gram). Technically, alcohol is also a macronutrient (7 calories/gram), but we won't worry about that for now.
Micronutrients - Nutrients our bodies require in smaller amounts such as vitamins and minerals.
IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros)/Flexible Dieting/Counting Macros (all of these terms are synonymous) - A food tracking method that accounts for daily macronutrient (carbs, protein, and fat) intake primarily used tweak one's physique/body composition. This method allows one to eat pretty much anything he/she wishes, as long as it is accounted for in the macronutrient intake. Many misinterpret or write this approach off because it allows for "dirty" food. The truth is, there is no such thing as "clean" or "dirty" food. Dr. Layne Norton does an excellent job of explaining that fact in this video. By default, a flexible dieter will be eating mostly what is said to be "clean" foods, while accounting for fiber and micronutrient needs as well. I try to eat around 80% "clean" incorporating mostly unprocessed foods, fruits and vegetables into my diet. Matty Fusaro explains it very well in this video. It seems difficult, but it's actually crazy easy. All you really need is a food scale, a brain, a little willpower, and a tracking app (like MyFitnessPal).
Metabolic Adaptation/Adaptive Thermogenesis/"Starvation Mode" - After extended periods of caloric restriction, the body adapts to lower calories to achieve homeostasis. The body becomes extremely efficient at using energy and "holding onto" calories due to the lack of energy supply, making fat/weight loss difficult.
Reverse Dieting - The process of slowly increasing calories above maintenance levels after extended periods of caloric restriction to increase the metabolic rate while limiting fat and weight gain (AKA eat a ton more and not gain any weight). The goal is to max out one's metabolic capacity so that fat loss is more easily achieved. Usually carbs and fats are added during this process (mostly carbs) as protein remains relatively constant (usually around 1g/lb body weight). It varies depending on individual factors, but it usually only takes a few months to complete this process of maxing out metabolic rate.
Please check out the resource page for a deeper explanation.
MY STORY
I spent most of my childhood and teenage years being the "fat girl" in school, as evidenced by the photo on the left. I weighed in the 150's and I was probably 5'nothing at the time. I was bullied a lot. It freaking sucked. After years of trying and failing to lose weight, I decided to do whatever it took. I found that running a lot and eating a lot less worked very well for me, so I was finally able to lose a significant amount of weight.
After college, I decided to move to Nashville, TN and pursue my passion for singing/songwriting. During this transition in my life, I thought it would be neat to lose even more weight. This is was when things took a turn for the worse. I knew that running and eating less worked so I decided to do an extreme version of both. I cut my calories in half and lost about 15 pounds in a few weeks. I never wanted to be perceived as "fat" by anyone ever again, especially not in the bright Nashville spotlight.
WARNING TO ANYONE THINKING ABOUT DOING THIS METHOD: DON'T DO IT!! IT'S NOT WORTH IT!! Take it slowwwww or your metabolism WILL plummet at an exponential rate. I speak from experience.
After college, I decided to move to Nashville, TN and pursue my passion for singing/songwriting. During this transition in my life, I thought it would be neat to lose even more weight. This is was when things took a turn for the worse. I knew that running and eating less worked so I decided to do an extreme version of both. I cut my calories in half and lost about 15 pounds in a few weeks. I never wanted to be perceived as "fat" by anyone ever again, especially not in the bright Nashville spotlight.
WARNING TO ANYONE THINKING ABOUT DOING THIS METHOD: DON'T DO IT!! IT'S NOT WORTH IT!! Take it slowwwww or your metabolism WILL plummet at an exponential rate. I speak from experience.
My lowest weight was 100 lbs and at 5'4", I wasn't even "skinny-fat", I was just straight up skinny at 8% body fat. To the left is a picture of how I looked at that time. My family and friends were worried about me, but I didn't care. I had random people I hadn't spoken to since middle school hit me up on myspace (ok yes I'm old.. myspace was still a thing) and tell me they had seen me at a coffee shop when I was visiting my home town and they were worried about me. Still didn't care. It was my life and my body and I LOVED how I looked for the first time in my life. I wasn't about to let anyone take that away from me. I remained dogmatic about this approach (aka an eating disorder) for about 5 years. So yeah, they were right, I wreaked my metabolism. I had no idea you could actually reverse the metabolism without gaining weight. In my head, there were only two options: (1) Go back to eating like a normal person and gain a crap ton of weight due to my screwed metabolism or (2) Be doomed for LIFE eating near nothing but remain skinny. I chose option two. I had no idea there was actually a THIRD OPTION that I would have chosen in a heartbeat had I only known.
Throughout this period of my life, I never looked in the mirror and thought "wow, I'm fat." I just loved how I looked at 100 pounds and wanted to keep it always between 100-104, my "magic number." I was probably eating anywhere from 200-600 calories on average per day. Most days my diet consisted of a tiny bit of turkey or chicken, spinach, a few pretzels, coffee, tea, and miso soup. I also have always had a HUGE sweet tooth so some days I would eat froyo or ice cream and then hardcore restrict until I saw the desired number on the scale. I was a slave to the scale and weighed myself daily. So to make an educated guess, I would say my diet was about 70% carbs, 20% fat, and 10% protein. Not exactly the most optimal diet for a nice body composition. Obviously, I had no muscle and no clue.
Fast forward five years. I decided it was time to get off the hamster wheel because: 1) It became an idol that took the place of God in my life 2) It would eventually kill me 3) I want to have kids one day 4) I want to be a good mother one day 5) FOOD IS DELICIOUS … So I gained a healthy ten pounds. Still, I was eating very low calories to maintain 110 lbs due to the metabolic damage caused by years of restricting.
In the summer of 2013, a good friend of mine introduced me to weight training and proper nutrition. I became a sponge, soaking up every ounce of information I could get. Who else, I thought, is better to learn from about gaining muscle than the pros themselves? Bodybuilders know what's up. Of course, there is a LOT out there and different methods work for different people. So just as a disclaimer, I think people should do whatever it is that brings them closer to THEIR OWN PERSONAL HEALTH GOALS -- weather its IIFYM/flexible dieting, "eating clean," intuitive eating, paleo, whatever. I'm not a hater. Go for it. I've always been a big believer in emperical evidence-based research and a huge science nerd so IIFYM/flexible dieting caught my attention (especially after adhering to a strict 100% "clean eating" diet for a while… which led me to binging/restricting… fun times). Most importantly, it fits my goals of being able to eat more and gain muscle with minimal fat gain. Ironically, when I first became interested, I was working at a cupcake shop that didn't get many customers so I would read articles, e-books and watch videos about nutrition/training all day. This is when I was introduced to Layne Norton's V-Logs, which honestly saved my life. With my math/science/nerd background, IIFYM just made sense.
I began weight training for about an hour 5-6x a week and 2x 20 minute HIIT sessions a week. I also started counting my macros. I was delighted to see changes in my body composition from completely changing my fat/carb/protein ratio and incorporating resistance training. I started seeing muscular definition I had NEVER seen before. I attempted to reverse diet a few times but was unsuccessful because I was stressed out in other areas of life and became inconsistent with my macro counting. I believe this lack of caloric surplus caused my results to be sub-optimal… My overall caloric intake, although much more muscle-inducing(??) due to wayyy higher protein, was not high enough to make very significant gains.
Which brings me to…
THE MACRO EXPERIMENT: PURPOSE
Ultimate Goal: To increase my caloric intake with minimal body fat/weight gain (hoping for around 1-2%). Also, I hope to significantly increase muscle mass. It's hard to make specific goals since I am not sure how my body will respond, but I would love to be at 1600 calories by November/December 2014. I will continue to increase from there until I "max" out my metabolic rate. Long term, I hope to be able to eat intuitively (not counting macros/weighing food) while maintaining a relatively lean/muscular physique.
To make steps towards these goals, I am going to do an experiment on my own body and post it online. This will not only hold me accountable, but hopefully it will help others who are struggling with similar issues.
I will accurately reverse diet (slowly add in calories every week) over an extended period of time to increase my metabolic rate with minimal fat gain. I strongly believe that's been the missing puzzle piece to my training/nutrition efforts these past nine months. I will also continue to lift heavy 6x/week with 1 or 2x20min HIIT sessions.
I have measured my current (starting) metabolic rate is able to sustain my bodyweight on 947 calories per day broken down into 117 protein*/ 77 carbs/19 fat. I would love to at least be able to sustain my weight at 1600 calories, if not more. I conjecture to at least achieve something like: 117p*/191c/41f (1611cal - 29%p*/48%c/23%f). Yes, I realize 947 calories is dangerously low and I admit it was wrong of me to do this to myself. Instead of beating myself up, I am going to take care and nourish my body. It's about time to start loving myself.
The timeframe of this experiment is indefinite. I will end it when I can add in as many calories as possible to sustain my bodyweight (although I do expect a slight increase, as I will hopefully be gaining muscle with minimal fat). I will be adding in calories and updating my blog with these stats weekly.
I realize that everyone and every BODY is different. Since my metabolism has adapted to a very low caloric intake for such a long period of time, I predict it will take longer than the average bear for me to restore it. This is why I will be very conservative as I begin to add in calories. If I find I am losing weight (a hyper-responder to the reverse diet), which I highly doubt will happen, I will be more aggressive with my weekly calorie additions. I will start out adding about 3% of my current caloric intake (about 25 calories/wk -- 4g carbs and 1g fat for the first week) and tweak from there as my body responds.
To measure my progress, I will use a scale and a body fat analyzer (Omron). Measurements are never 100% accurate, however, I will decrease as much error as possible by taking both measurements as soon as I wake up, once a week. If anything, the error will be more systematic than random, not significantly affecting the overall accuracy of the experiment. Of course, I will weigh all of my food to the exact gram using my food scale. I will limit alcohol to 1-2 drinks a month, and if I do go out to eat (which I will try to avoid during this reverse diet), I will be as accurate as possible.
I realize this seems extreme, but please keep in mind I do not plan to use this method long-term. I want to use it to reverse diet and eventually, once my metabolism has adapted to a higher caloric intake, be able to eat intuitively. After many years of eating below 700 calories a day, I need to re-learn how to eat. Not only do I need to fix my body, I need to fix my brain/mentality. I am not used to eating "normal" meals like sandwiches and burgers. I am using flexible dieting as a teaching tool. No one should ever feel guilty for fueling their body -- God created food and it is GOOD! :)
I'm SICK of being a slave to the scale and the mirror and the chains of ED. I'm SICK of feeling guilty over my favorite "off limits" foods. I'm SICK of isolating myself socially due to my food anxieties. I'm SICK of worrying the people I love the most, my family and friends. It's time to KICK the demons of eating disorder IN THE FACE once and for all. I will not give up this fight.
I'll be updating my stats weekly on the blog and I'll also be posting recipes and anything else that I find particularly motivating/inspiring/awesome.
I hope you will follow me along my "health/fitness journey". I love making new friends and helping others so please feel free to contact me through email (themacroexperimentcait@gmail.com), instagram (@TheMacroExperiment), this website… Much love! <3
- C
*I calculate protein using a little over 1 gram per pound body weight, I will try to keep fat between 20-25% and fill in the rest of my macros as carbs. Check out the resource page for information on calculating your macros.
Throughout this period of my life, I never looked in the mirror and thought "wow, I'm fat." I just loved how I looked at 100 pounds and wanted to keep it always between 100-104, my "magic number." I was probably eating anywhere from 200-600 calories on average per day. Most days my diet consisted of a tiny bit of turkey or chicken, spinach, a few pretzels, coffee, tea, and miso soup. I also have always had a HUGE sweet tooth so some days I would eat froyo or ice cream and then hardcore restrict until I saw the desired number on the scale. I was a slave to the scale and weighed myself daily. So to make an educated guess, I would say my diet was about 70% carbs, 20% fat, and 10% protein. Not exactly the most optimal diet for a nice body composition. Obviously, I had no muscle and no clue.
Fast forward five years. I decided it was time to get off the hamster wheel because: 1) It became an idol that took the place of God in my life 2) It would eventually kill me 3) I want to have kids one day 4) I want to be a good mother one day 5) FOOD IS DELICIOUS … So I gained a healthy ten pounds. Still, I was eating very low calories to maintain 110 lbs due to the metabolic damage caused by years of restricting.
In the summer of 2013, a good friend of mine introduced me to weight training and proper nutrition. I became a sponge, soaking up every ounce of information I could get. Who else, I thought, is better to learn from about gaining muscle than the pros themselves? Bodybuilders know what's up. Of course, there is a LOT out there and different methods work for different people. So just as a disclaimer, I think people should do whatever it is that brings them closer to THEIR OWN PERSONAL HEALTH GOALS -- weather its IIFYM/flexible dieting, "eating clean," intuitive eating, paleo, whatever. I'm not a hater. Go for it. I've always been a big believer in emperical evidence-based research and a huge science nerd so IIFYM/flexible dieting caught my attention (especially after adhering to a strict 100% "clean eating" diet for a while… which led me to binging/restricting… fun times). Most importantly, it fits my goals of being able to eat more and gain muscle with minimal fat gain. Ironically, when I first became interested, I was working at a cupcake shop that didn't get many customers so I would read articles, e-books and watch videos about nutrition/training all day. This is when I was introduced to Layne Norton's V-Logs, which honestly saved my life. With my math/science/nerd background, IIFYM just made sense.
I began weight training for about an hour 5-6x a week and 2x 20 minute HIIT sessions a week. I also started counting my macros. I was delighted to see changes in my body composition from completely changing my fat/carb/protein ratio and incorporating resistance training. I started seeing muscular definition I had NEVER seen before. I attempted to reverse diet a few times but was unsuccessful because I was stressed out in other areas of life and became inconsistent with my macro counting. I believe this lack of caloric surplus caused my results to be sub-optimal… My overall caloric intake, although much more muscle-inducing(??) due to wayyy higher protein, was not high enough to make very significant gains.
Which brings me to…
THE MACRO EXPERIMENT: PURPOSE
Ultimate Goal: To increase my caloric intake with minimal body fat/weight gain (hoping for around 1-2%). Also, I hope to significantly increase muscle mass. It's hard to make specific goals since I am not sure how my body will respond, but I would love to be at 1600 calories by November/December 2014. I will continue to increase from there until I "max" out my metabolic rate. Long term, I hope to be able to eat intuitively (not counting macros/weighing food) while maintaining a relatively lean/muscular physique.
To make steps towards these goals, I am going to do an experiment on my own body and post it online. This will not only hold me accountable, but hopefully it will help others who are struggling with similar issues.
I will accurately reverse diet (slowly add in calories every week) over an extended period of time to increase my metabolic rate with minimal fat gain. I strongly believe that's been the missing puzzle piece to my training/nutrition efforts these past nine months. I will also continue to lift heavy 6x/week with 1 or 2x20min HIIT sessions.
I have measured my current (starting) metabolic rate is able to sustain my bodyweight on 947 calories per day broken down into 117 protein*/ 77 carbs/19 fat. I would love to at least be able to sustain my weight at 1600 calories, if not more. I conjecture to at least achieve something like: 117p*/191c/41f (1611cal - 29%p*/48%c/23%f). Yes, I realize 947 calories is dangerously low and I admit it was wrong of me to do this to myself. Instead of beating myself up, I am going to take care and nourish my body. It's about time to start loving myself.
The timeframe of this experiment is indefinite. I will end it when I can add in as many calories as possible to sustain my bodyweight (although I do expect a slight increase, as I will hopefully be gaining muscle with minimal fat). I will be adding in calories and updating my blog with these stats weekly.
I realize that everyone and every BODY is different. Since my metabolism has adapted to a very low caloric intake for such a long period of time, I predict it will take longer than the average bear for me to restore it. This is why I will be very conservative as I begin to add in calories. If I find I am losing weight (a hyper-responder to the reverse diet), which I highly doubt will happen, I will be more aggressive with my weekly calorie additions. I will start out adding about 3% of my current caloric intake (about 25 calories/wk -- 4g carbs and 1g fat for the first week) and tweak from there as my body responds.
To measure my progress, I will use a scale and a body fat analyzer (Omron). Measurements are never 100% accurate, however, I will decrease as much error as possible by taking both measurements as soon as I wake up, once a week. If anything, the error will be more systematic than random, not significantly affecting the overall accuracy of the experiment. Of course, I will weigh all of my food to the exact gram using my food scale. I will limit alcohol to 1-2 drinks a month, and if I do go out to eat (which I will try to avoid during this reverse diet), I will be as accurate as possible.
I realize this seems extreme, but please keep in mind I do not plan to use this method long-term. I want to use it to reverse diet and eventually, once my metabolism has adapted to a higher caloric intake, be able to eat intuitively. After many years of eating below 700 calories a day, I need to re-learn how to eat. Not only do I need to fix my body, I need to fix my brain/mentality. I am not used to eating "normal" meals like sandwiches and burgers. I am using flexible dieting as a teaching tool. No one should ever feel guilty for fueling their body -- God created food and it is GOOD! :)
I'm SICK of being a slave to the scale and the mirror and the chains of ED. I'm SICK of feeling guilty over my favorite "off limits" foods. I'm SICK of isolating myself socially due to my food anxieties. I'm SICK of worrying the people I love the most, my family and friends. It's time to KICK the demons of eating disorder IN THE FACE once and for all. I will not give up this fight.
I'll be updating my stats weekly on the blog and I'll also be posting recipes and anything else that I find particularly motivating/inspiring/awesome.
I hope you will follow me along my "health/fitness journey". I love making new friends and helping others so please feel free to contact me through email (themacroexperimentcait@gmail.com), instagram (@TheMacroExperiment), this website… Much love! <3
- C
*I calculate protein using a little over 1 gram per pound body weight, I will try to keep fat between 20-25% and fill in the rest of my macros as carbs. Check out the resource page for information on calculating your macros.