Macros, Diets and Sugar

[superflyanimal]

Weight: 76kg/167lbs
Height: 5ft 8'
Using gear: No
TDEE: 2700
Calories Target: 3250
Protein (g): 350
Carbs (g): 250
Fat (g): 90

Hi,

I'm novice bodybuilder trying to learn more and get my diet/nutrition right, but macros and sugars are confusing me. The basic principle for cutting/bulking is eating less/more than your TDEE, but also hitting your macros. I am eating healthy and have a diet plan, but I will use the following example to help me learn and understand:

Say for this example, I am trying to maintain my size (not bulk/cut). Ignoring energy levels and micronutrients, if I eat a lot of "unhealthy foods", such as chinese, McDonalds, fast foods etc, but I am not exceeding my TDEE, will I maintain my size/shape/fatpercentage the same way as if I ate all healthy foods, but consumed the same amount of calories? Note: Both times I hit the TDEE of 2500 but by different methods and given I eat the same amount of protein to sustain my gains (1-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight).

I was under the impression that the TDEE is the main thing for cutting/maintaining/bulking, but were does the sugar come into it? My friend says you shouldnt be eating so much sugars, when I had my coco pops for breakfast, but I said its okay as long as I'm hitting my TDEE and macros. Does sugar not come under the macro of fats, because sugars turns into fats or is there more too it? Maybe I'm being crazy and not understanding correctly, but that's why I'm here.

[energizer bunny]

If you eat to your tdee and to your set macro limits then there will not be a difference in physique. Though eating nutritionally better foods should be favoured for there micro nutrient contents, also better to eat for performance. Iifym is something to read, just google it.

Also sugar is a simple carb. And should be counted as carb in your macros

[superflyanimal]

Also sugar is a simple carb. And should be counted as carb in your macros

Ah yes, that's right, I should have known that. It says on the nutrition labels of food for example (boost bar):
Carbohydrate 58.5g
(of which sugar) 49.5g

So what does this mean then? Are these Complex carbs (fibre and starch) and simple carbs (of which sugars part in example)? So in terms of size/shape/bodyfat percentage, there is no difference if I hit my Macros and TDEE. BUT... the reason to consider the 3 different types of sugars (fibre, starch, simple) is because it will have different healthy benefits.

[energizer bunny]

That's correct, of which sugars is the amount of simple carbs in the food item.

The argument is still going, on the iifym method, for me if you want to look good on a beach then using iifym will work, if you want to compete then maybe not the best option but I'm no expert and will never compete so do lots of reasearch and make an informed decision based on your goal.

[energizer bunny]

Sorry what's left will be from other carb I.e starchy/ complex.....fibre will have its own place on the pack.

[superflyanimal]

Sorry what's left will be from other carb I.e starchy/ complex.....fibre will have its own place on the pack.

"Of which sugar" is the simple sugar, that must mean the rest is complex carbs. But BOTH starch and fibre are complex carbs. The fibre details are not separate on most nutrition details on food packs that I look at.

Eg:

Typical Values Typical Values Per 100g Per portion (125g) (%*)
Energy 704kJ/167kcal 880kJ/209kcal (10%)
Fat 3.6g 4.5g (6%)
of which - -
saturates 0.6g 0.8g (4%)
Carbohydrate 29.0g 36.3g (13%)
of which sugars 2.5g 3.1g (3%)
Protein 4.0g 5.0g (10%)
Salt 0.43g 0.54g (9%)

[energizer bunny]

What country are you in?

[Back In Black]

You eat way too much protein btw OP. Don't know your bodyfat but even 250g would likely be on the high side.

Take your calories from nutrient dense foods as EB says, they have a much better micro content. I guarantee over a period of time you would look and feel better

[superflyanimal]

What country are you in?

I'm in the UK.

[superflyanimal]

You eat way too much protein btw OP. Don't know your bodyfat but even 250g would likely be on the high side.

Take your calories from nutrient dense foods as EB says, they have a much better micro content. I guarantee over a period of time you would look and feel better

I've still to look into micronutrients, but at the minute, I want to understand macros first. I'm assuming that's what you were talking about when you said "take calories from nutrient dense foods". Once I get my diet including the right macros, I can start to improve on it with micros.

[Back In Black]

Micronutrients - vitamins, minerals and phyto chemicals/nutrients come from nutrient dense food.

Macro's are carbs protein and fat.

Protein - max 1.5g per lean lb of body weight
Fats 0.4-0.5g per lean lb of body weight
Carbs make up the remainder and where you should subtract or add depending on your goals.

[energizer bunny]

I'm in the UK.

Mmmm most of the packs ive looked at have fibre content, maybe if it doesnt have it on the package then maybe there isnt fibre in that product, i dont know. Anyway, better to eat complex carbs over simple for the reasons above BUT its the overall carb intake that counts when counting macros.

Basic Carb description below

You have simple and complex carbs, both are just units of sugar, simple carbs have single and double sugar units, complex have multiple units. Both types are digested by the body, obviously simple are digested quicker and complex digested over a longer period.

Fiber is a complex carb not digested by the body and goes through your digestive tract helping your insides feel good. you have two types of fibre soluble and insoluble.

that is the basics.

[energizer bunny]

I've still to look into micronutrients, but at the minute, I want to understand macros first. I'm assuming that's what you were talking about when you said "take calories from nutrient dense foods". Once I get my diet including the right macros, I can start to improve on it with micros.

If you eat healthy macro-nutrients then the micro-nutrients will take care of them selves....

[superflyanimal]

Thank for the help guys, appreciate it.

So in conclusion:

You can reach your TDEE by any means necessary, providing you hit your macros, and you will reach the same body shape, size, shreddedness. But the penalty for not eating all the nutrition dense and healthy foods is the micronutrients. Micros which will help the body in other ways and make it function better, and in turn, will allow you to train harder and recover better, thus, will allow you to make gains better and faster.

[superflyanimal]

One more question on the fibre content on packets. Some packs do have "Fibre" listed separately from Carbs. Should I had fibre onto the total number of carbs when recording my macros?

[energizer bunny]

No use the total carbs, this will include fibre and sugars.........if you were on a keto diet you could subtract the fibre from total carbs if you wanted though.