90 in 90 Challenge/ Biggest Loser Program

I've decided to challenge myself to 90 posts in 90 days, no matter how short. This is similar to what some substance abuse programs suggest (90 AA/NA meetings in 90 days). Let's face it, food is most certainly a substance that many of us get addicted to. I recently had a slip (mini relapse) after eating a full slice of my own, homemade German chocolate cake. That one piece of cake had me fiending for simple carbohydrates for days. Before eating the cake, I was hardly craving carbs at all due to the nutrition plan I have been on since early October.

The Biggest Loser program I am currently a part of has us on a 60%-20%-20% macronutrient plan.

What does that mean? Well, firstly, the major three macronutrients that we need in order to function are fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Carbohydrates are essentially anything that comes from the ground and consist of sugar, starch, and fiber. As we all know, not all carbohydrates are made alike and complex carbs are better than simple carbs. So, 60% of my calories are supposed to come from protein, 20% from carbs, and 20% from fat.

How do I calculate that? First multiply your current weight by 7. This will give you your daily caloric intake target.

Protein: Multiple your total calorie target by .6 (60%) to get the total number of calories per day to consume in protein. Then, divide that number by 4 (there are 4 calories per gram of protein) to get the number of grams to aim for. 
Carbs: Multiply your total calorie target by .2 (20%) to get the total number of calories per day to consume in carbohydrates. Then, divide that number by 4 (there are 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate) to get the number of grams to aim for.
Fat: Multiply your total calorie target by .2 (20%) to get the total number of calories per day to consume in fats. Then, divide that number by 9 (there are 9 calories per gram of fat) to get the number of grams to aim for.

I use My Fitness Pal to keep track of my nutrition and exercise. There is an option to within the "Goal" tab to customize your goals. If you don't feel like doing ALL of the math all you need to do is set your daily caloric intake target and tell it what percentages you want to aim for in terms of the macronutrients.

This is the bare bones of the initial Biggest Loser nutrition plan. More on this later...