Written by Agata Tiurmorezow, Eating Disorder Recovery Coach
Agata Tiurmorezow works as Eating Disorder Recovery Coach. Agata after sufferring herself 20 years ago, earned a master's degree in Food Technology and Human Nutrition.
Nutrition plays a crucial role in human life, affecting health, well-being, and quality of life. What we eat has a direct impact on our functioning, both physically and mentally. A proper diet provides essential nutrients, supports growth and regeneration, and helps prevent many diseases. However, in the era of globalisation and fast-paced living, we increasingly forget about the basic principles of healthy eating, leading to a rise in health problems.
The foundation of healthy eating is providing the body with the right proportions of nutrients essential for its proper functioning. Among these, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats play the most important roles as the three main macronutrients that provide energy and fulfil various metabolic functions. Each of these nutrients has a unique role in the body: carbohydrates are the primary source of energy, proteins build and repair tissues, and fats support the absorption of vitamins and serve as an energy reserve. Understanding their functions and the proper balance in the diet is key to maintaining health and well-being.
But
How do we know how many meals are the best to have a day?
How do we know how much protein, how much fat, and how much carbohydrates we should eat?
I will try to dispel your doubts.
How many meals should we have a day for proper nutrition?
Consuming between 3 to 6 meals a day can be an equally good option.
People with lower energy needs and limited physical activity can consume fewer meals throughout the day. Those who train regularly and athletes should eat more meals to meet their energy requirements and replenish glycogen stores. Irregular meals can negatively affect thermogenesis, post-meal insulin levels, and lipid profile.
Few years back, there was popular to base on 5 meals a day. Nowadays we can find more opinions.
There is no one answer whether a specific number of meals can positively affect feelings of hunger. However, we do know that both an extremely low number of meals (<3) and an extremely high number (>6) can negatively impact appetite control.
The more meals we have, the smaller portion we get. It’s very difficult to stay satisfied. Our mind will not stop thinking about the food.
We always have to think in long term goals. What would work better for us to maintain the diet and stay on track. If someone is very busy, it would be difficult to prepare 6 meals a day.
If someone is on an 1800kcal diet, it’s better to eat 4 meals 450kcal, rather than 6 small meals, 300kcal each.
It's all depends how we feel and what works best.
If someone trains like a pro, is bodybuilder or athlet, case is different.
The energy requirements of such individuals are very high and can exceed even 4,000-5,000 kcal. Distributing this amount of calories across only 3-4 meals would simply be not practical.
What about proteins, carbohydrates and fats? How many should we eat?
This topic has always been confusing.
I'm a big fan of a balanced diet and rule 80/20, where 80% stands for nutrient-rich food and 20% pleasure treats. Of course, if you are at the beginning of the healthy eating journey, it might not work as desserts can play with our taste and temptation.
As I mentioned before “carbohydrates are the primary source of energy, proteins build and repair tissues, and fats support the absorption of vitamins and serve as an energy reserve”, so the more active you are, the more energy/carbohydrates you need.
For someone who is not active at all and just starts healthy nutrition journey, most of their products could be veggies. After that we can add healthy grains, starches, healthy fats and lean protein sources.
As a personal trainer I've learnt that people usually understimate calories they eat and burn.
For someone who trains 3-4x a week, enough would be to have 30-50% carbohydrates, 20-30% proteins, and rest healthy fats.
Please remember we talk here about balanced diet, where there is equally number of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
Ketogenic diet is for different subject.
If trainings are very intense, we can play more with adding processed and rafinated carbs as extra, quick energy.
Is sugar bad?
Sugar is not pure evil, nor does it kill people as some might think, and it’s not always necessary to eliminate it completely from your diet.
It’s worth remembering that small amounts of sugar won’t kill anyone, and for physically very active people, it can even be beneficial and improve performance. Endurance athletes would not complete their training without it. After all, isotonic drinks and energy gels are essentially sugar.
Sugar is often blamed for the obesity epidemic, but it’s not the sugar itself that’s the problem—it’s excessive consumption.
Unfortunately, many people overuse it, which contributes to its demonisation.
What about eating according to body type?
There is so many nutrition pathways. We can eat according to our blood group, body type, age etc. Would that works for us? It would for some and for others won't.
Not that long time ago, it was very popular eating regime according to our body type.
There are three primary body types: mesomorph, endomorph, and ectomorph. Each of these is characterised by different physical structures, metabolism, and predispositions to gaining muscle mass or body fat. Understanding your somatotype can help tailor your training and diet plan to better suit your individual needs.
Mesomorph
Mesomorphs have an athletic physique with well-developed muscle mass. Their body structure is typically proportional, with medium- thickness bones. These individuals easily build muscle and burn fat with ease. A mesomorph is naturally strong, and their metabolism is generally fast, making this body type the most suited for athletic success.
Endomorph
Endomorphs are characterised by a rounder physique with a higher percentage of body fat. They tend to gain weight easily, especially around the abdomen and hips. Their metabolism is typically slower, making weight loss more challenging. However, endomorphs often possess great physical strength and a solid body build.
Ectomorph
Ectomorphs are individuals with a lean, slender body structure, long limbs, and minimal body fat and muscle mass. They have a fast metabolism, which makes it difficult for them to gain weight, both in the form of muscle and fat. Ectomorphs usually need to consume more calories and focus on strength training to build muscle mass.
If lock macronutrients as numbers, it would be:
Mesomorths
35-40% carbohydrates
30% fat
30-35% protein
Endomorths
25-30% carbohydrates
45-50% fats
30% protein
Ectomorphs
40-50% carbohydrates
30-35% fat
20-25% protein
How do I work with clients? We always go with specific questionnaire about lifestyle and health history.
If someone is super active, we can go with higher carbohydrate levels, etc. Again, it all depends on the situation, but most of my clients want to lose weight. Being on a calorie deficit can be demanding and tiring, so a high-carb diet will not be the perfect option. I like personally start with equal number of macronutrients and watch what happens. Having enough proteins and fats would keep us fuller for longer.
My last words to say would be, if you are constantly on a diet, stop. Stop looking for miracles and start from the basics.
Be patient and make it simple.
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Agata Tiurmorezow, Eating Disorder Recovery Coach
Agata Tiurmorezow works as Eating Disorder Recovery Coach. Agata after sufferring herself 20 years ago, earned a master's degree in Food Technology and Human Nutrition. This allowed her to deepen her knowledge of nutrition and better understand how the body functions. For the past 10 years, Agata has been helping women achieve their goals, improve their health, and minimize symptoms of conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid issues, or menopause through a specially tailored nutrition plan, supplements, and exercise.
