Nutrition Abel Mezemer Nutrition Abel Mezemer

BMR and TDEE

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy your body would burn if you were to lie motionless for a day, without food. It’s the minimum amount of energy it costs you to stay alive for 24 hours. Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories you burn in 24 hours based on your BMR, activity level, and food digestion aka thermic effect of food (TEF).

In order for all the systems in your body to work together, you need to eat enough calories and the minimum would be your BMR number. Digesting food burns calories and this is called the thermic effect of food (TEF). Activity level includes physical activity that is planned and unplanned. Planned activities would fall into the category EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) and unplanned activities would fall into NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). An example of EAT would be purposeful exercise such as working out and an example of NEAT would be walking to the gym.

Your BMR is determined by the following factors:

  • Sex

  • Weight

  • Height

  • Age

  • Ethnicity

  • Body Composition

  • Genetic factors

 

This means you’re in control of two things, how much you weigh and your body composition aka how much lean muscle you have compared to body fat.

I use the Mifflin-St. Jeor Equation to calculate a client’s starting point with calories. Any calculator you use to determine how many calories you need in a given day is a best guess and there is no way to say with 100% accuracy, eat this many calories and you will lose weight. The best method for knowing whether the calorie amount given is correct is to give it time, about 2 weeks minimum. Losing weight is a game of numbers and unless you try, fail, and adjust, you’ll be stuck at the same weight and your level of frustration will continue to rise.

What does this mean for you and what can you do starting today?

  • Calculate your BMR and TDEE.

    • I will gladly help you figure that number out for free, click here.

  • Start tracking calories.

    • You don’t have to track calories to lose weight, but numbers provide clarity and help with strategy.

  • Increase your TEF.

    • Eat more protein. More protein in your diet helps with satiety so you experience hunger less and it’s the one macronutrient that burns the most calories through digestion.

  • Increase your NEAT.

    • Walk more. This can be considered EAT if you plan it into your day but I don’t care about that subtle difference. Park farther, take the stairs, use your arms when you tell stories, fidget more, etc. The point is, the more active you are, the higher your NEAT will be.

  • Increase your EAT.

    • Pretty simple here, exercise more. I don’t care what form of exercise you do as long as it’s something you enjoy and can be consistent with.

    • I’m biased so my main choice of exercise is strength training. Not only do you build strength and muscle but it helps with burning fat (if in a caloric deficit) and builds confidence.

    • Do more cardio.

      • Walk, run, cycle, swim, fly, etc, just do something to raise your heart rate and maybe get a sweat in.

      • 150 minutes of low-moderate intensity per week.

      • 75 minutes of high intensity per week.

      • You can choose either or combine these in your week based on your schedule, program, and preference.

  • Don’t know where to start? I’ve got options for you

Anything else I can help with, email me here

 
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Supplements Abel Mezemer Supplements Abel Mezemer

Best Dietary Supplements To Lose Weight

Which supplements should you buy for losing weight and dropping body fat is tough. I explain what you should look for in this article.

If you think buying 1, 2, maybe 15 dietary supplements is going to help you lose weight… you’re absolutely right. The question to ask here is why are you spending a shit-ton of money on supplements in the first place? I want to save you money and years of frustration with this one piece of advice. If you’re not strength training at least 3x a week, if your nutrition is not at least 80% aligned with your goals, if you’re not getting a minimum of 6 hours of sleep a night, buying supplements will not be your answer. If you’re new to losing weight or if you’ve been unsuccessful with keeping the weight off, I want to teach you How To Track Your Macros and How to Lose Weight Without A Diet. Hopefully you will learn something new after reading those two quick articles. Now, I’m going to quickly explain the pros and cons of supplements that are most beneficial for weight-loss without boring you to death.

The role of dietary supplements is to complete or fill in the gaps you need help with in your diet. Do not be the old Abel who wasted thousands of dollars on pills like Hydroxycut and other fat burners thinking that if I took these pills, I could eat whatever I want & lose fat. Did I lose weight, yes, but what happened when I got off those pills is that the weight came back and some more. Sound familiar? It took me years to understand my body and nutrition (this process never ends for the person who wants to get better) so my intention here is to help you prevent making the same mistakes I did and years of frustration.

A weight-loss supplement should do a few things:

  1. Reduce Appetite

  2. Increase fat burning

  3. Reduce fat absorption

  4. Increase the feeling of satiety (feeling full)

For all the benefits you can get with a weight-loss supplement, you should be aware they also have side effects that will make you think twice before making a purchase. Supplements aren’t regulated by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which means companies can lie about the ingredients and dosage as well as the damage it can do to your body that isn’t reversible (like death). The most popular ingredients have been banned (Ephedra, Hydroxycut products, Fen-Phen, and Meridia) by the FDA because of harmful side effects like:

  1. Increased Heart Rate

  2. High Blood Pressure

  3. Agitation

  4. Diarrhea

  5. Sleeplessness

  6. Kidney Damage

  7. Liver Damage

  8. Rectal Bleeding

Now for the part you’ve been waiting for. Best Dietary Supplements to lose weight:

  1. Caffeine: Has the ability to boost metabolism and increase fat burning short term. Caffeine is found in a lot of weight loss pills for its effect on blunting hunger & increasing performance during workouts. The best sources of caffeine are found in coffee, green tea and preworkouts. To those that don't know the side effects of overconsumption, too much caffeine can cause anxiety, insomnia, jitteriness, irritability, nausea, and diarrhea to name a few.

  2. Green Tea Extract (GTE): Included in a lot of weight loss supplements. The main antioxidant in it, ECGC, promotes fat burning. Studies show that GTE increases the activity of norepinephrine, a hormone that helps you burn fat, and can target belly fat directly. All of the benefits you get from GTE is also found in Green Tea.

  3. Protein Powder: Your muscles are built by protein. Protein is the one macronutrient that burns the most calories through the digestive process and the one macronutrient that fills you up the most compared to carbohydrates and dietary fats. What this means is by increasing protein intake, you’ll reduce the urge to overeat foods that won’t help your body composition, strength, or staying in a calorie deficit. Protein powder is a great alternative option when you can’t cook or buy protein rich foods. Caution, protein powder is a supplement and substitute in your diet when you need help reaching your protein goals, protein powder should not be your go-to source of protein.

The first two supplements are included in a lot of weight-loss supplements because of their effectiveness. But are you interested in buying supplements or having long-term results? If that answer is yes to results that last forever, you shouldn’t buy another supplement until you have a basic foundation on nutrition, until you’ve tried different meal plans or until you’ve started tracking the calories you eat. If you’re being fed supplements without education, you’ll forever remain a prey to marketing and your life will become one big spinning wheel where progress is dangled in front of you like a carrot but can’t taste it. I want to help you make better decisions that will stick with you for a lifetime.

Here’s a list and explanation of the supplements I take everyday that I think anyone can benefit from, especially those looking to lose weight. Remember, the role of a supplement is to add to your diet, filling in the gaps where you need help the most. In order for you to lose weight, it’s less about buying quick fixes and more about a lifestyle change.

  1. Multivitamin

  2. No one’s diet is perfect and because of this, no one is getting the right amount of nutrients for their lifestyle.

    1. What I use (here)

  3. Fish Oil

  4. I don’t eat fish daily (high dietary fat reasons) so I get my Omega-3 (EPA/DHA) source in pill form. If you like having considerably less joint pain and inflammation, this supplement’s for you.

    1. What I use (here)

  5. Protein Powder

  6. I can’t get 240g of protein from food alone, protein powder provides convenience & eliminates excuses. 

    1. Meal Replacement shake (my favorite is cinnamon cookie batter)

    2. Post Workout Shake (Ignition makes the shake taste like ice cream)

  7. Creatine

  8. Increases lean tissue mass (muscles), performance in the gym and strength.

    1. What I use (here)

  9. Coffee

  10. I like my coffee black with liquid stevia. This helps eliminate the need for sugar and milk (calories), blunts hunger so I can extend my Intermittent Fasting (source), and increase focus and energy.

  11. Fat Loss Stack for Men and a Fat Loss Stack for Women from 1st Phorm (optional)

  12. This supplement helped me fall asleep faster with better quality sleep, increase my focus and energy like coffee, and controlled my appetite. 

Action Steps You Can Take Now

  • Start tracking you calories for weight-loss today! Learn how here

  • Lose weight without a diet. Learn how here

  • Use Intermittent Fasting to lose weight. Learn how here

  • Hit your Goal Body Weight in protein every day. Find your protein number here

  • Strength Train 2-3 times a week. Have 1 Day of cardio if you want. Don’t have a routine? Send me an email & I’ll give you a FREE 4 week program here: abel@aymhigher.com with the subject “4 Week AYM Higher Program”

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