Nutrition Basics
Within a glass of fruit squash (fruit drink), you have two main ingredients: the squash and the water. The squash may vary in concentration of strength or sugars; you could choose different flavours or experiment with mixed flavours. However you choose, the outcome remains the same. You’ll end up with less than a 10th squash, and the remaining space within your glass will be occupied by water.
Replacing water with anything else will tip the balance of fruit squash, and suddenly, it tastes unpalatable. It isn’t the way it was intended to taste.
The same principle applies to exercise and nutrition when the goal is health and weight loss. Although Physical fitness (squash) has a small but incredibly influential role, a balanced diet (water) has the biggest overall impact.
Nutrition will be the most significant factor in whether or not you get results.. Simply put, everything rides on your nutritional habits being in check. If you consistently get it wrong, you’re consistently wasting your time.
Being physically fit can be tough at the best of times. The least logical thing you can do when training your buns off is give yourself a reason to train harder. You’ll rob yourself of your well-deserved wins, and discouragement will soon follow.
For most, maintaining good food habits isn’t just a matter of information; it’s deeply personal. It’s shaped by our upbringing, our environment, our emotions, and the habits we’ve developed over the years. Many of us were never taught how to eat in a way that supports us. Instead, food was more about comfort or convenience than nourishment.
We’ve used food to celebrate, cope, reward, and distract. Over time, without even realising it, we started to build emotional attachments to eating patterns that didn’t serve us.
We struggle with nutrition because we were never given a straightforward way to make sense of it all.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be complicated, so let’s simplify it!
Before the Plan: What You Need to Know
Unlike a workout plan, nutrition rarely comes with a simple, step-by-step roadmap and piecing it all together on our own can be difficult.
Before building your personalised step-by-step system, you need to understand key concepts.
Once you understand how your body uses energy, what calories and macros actually mean, and how food impacts fat loss, everything will start to click.
What Is Food, Really?
Despite being used as a source of comfort, food is and should be used as fuel. The unit of energy within food is a kilojoule, or more commonly known as a calorie (Kcal). Fats, proteins, and carbohydrates all contain a specific number of calories per gram. Together, they form a group called Macronutrients, whilst vitamins and minerals are known as Micronutrients.
Macronutrients and micronutrients fall under a collective group called nutrients
Understanding Nutrients
As mentioned above, nutrients are categorised into two main groups: macronutrients and micronutrients.
These are the main building blocks of food, and your body needs each in different amounts.
The Three Macronutrients
Carbohydrates
4 kcal per gram
- Your body’s primary energy source
- Fuels your brain and training sessions
- Includes sugars, starches, and fibre
Found in rice, bread, fruits, veggies, pasta, oats
Proteins
4 kcal per gram
- Builds and repairs muscles
- Keeps you full longer
- Supports fat loss and recovery
Found in meat, eggs, dairy, beans, tofu, and protein shakes
Fats
9 kcal per gram
- Supports hormones and joint health
- Helps your body absorb vitamins
- Keeps you satisfied
Found in oils, nuts, seeds, avocados, and fatty fish
Eat Enough Protein
Most people don’t eat enough protein because they don’t realise how much they need or why it matters.
Protein is non-negotiable when putting your body under any form of physical stress. It’s also a key component when losing fat too. Forget the noise around carbs and fats, protein is the macronutrient that keeps your results moving forward.
So, Why Is Protein So Important?
- Satiety: Protein helps you stay full for longer, which means fewer cravings and less snacking.
- Muscle Retention: When you’re in a calorie deficit, your body needs a reason to keep your muscle. Protein gives it that reason.
- Recovery: After training, your body repairs and rebuilds muscle tissue. No protein = slower recovery.
- Metabolism: Muscle mass burns more calories at rest than fat. Protein helps you preserve or build muscle, keeping your metabolism active.
Make This Simple
Don’t overthink it. You don’t need to measure grams at this time.
Just start by asking:
- Is there a source of protein in this meal?
- Can I add some protein to this snack?
- Am I eating enough to stay full and recover well?
Answer those consistently, and your results will speak for themselves.
The Two Micronutrients
Micronutrients don’t change what you see in the mirror; they change how you feel when you wake up.
They’re the silent drivers behind your energy, sleep, focus, and how fast your body bounces back.
Get them right, and everything works better.
Ignore them, and you’ll feel like you’re always running on empty.
Think of Macronutrients as the gas in your car, and Micronutrients as the car key that allows your car to actually use the gas.
Vitamins
Vitamins don’t give you energy like carbs or fats do, but they help your body use energy properly. They play a supporting role in nearly everything — from keeping your immune system strong to helping your body heal and convert food into fuel.
There are two types:
- Water-soluble (like B vitamins and vitamin C) – These aren’t stored in the body, so you need them regularly from food.
- Fat-soluble (like vitamins A, D, E, and K) – These are stored in your body’s fat and used when needed.
You can get most of your vitamins from eating a wide variety of whole foods — especially fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. A colourful plate is often a well-balanced one.
Minerals
Minerals are essential nutrients your body needs in small amounts — but don’t let “small” fool you. They’re responsible for some of your body’s biggest jobs, like keeping your bones strong, your muscles working, and your heart beating.
Two groups to know:
- Macrominerals (like calcium, magnesium, potassium) – Needed in larger amounts.
- Trace minerals (like iron, zinc, selenium) – Needed in tiny amounts, but still crucial.
You’ll find minerals in whole foods like leafy greens, nuts, seeds, meat, dairy, and even water. Eating a balanced diet means you’re likely covering your mineral needs without having to overthink it.
Calories & Fat Loss
Fat loss doesn’t come from cutting out carbs, skipping meals, or working out 7 days a week. It comes down to one core principle: the balance of energy consumed and energy used.
Energy Balance
Your body uses energy daily to stay alive — to breathe, digest, move, and even think. That energy comes from the calories in the food you eat.
Here’s how it works:
- Eat more calories than you burn → your body stores the extra (usually as fat).
- Eat slightly fewer calories than you burn → your body starts using stored fat for energy.
This is called a calorie deficit, and it’s the key to fat loss.
Getting to Know Your BMR
BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate. It’s the amount of calories your body burns at rest. If you decide to sit on a sofa for an entire day, your body still needs calories to perform internal bodily tasks.
This is useful because you can add your activity level to calculate Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which indicates how many calories you need to maintain, lose, or gain weight.
Knowing your BMR makes your training and nutrition planning more accurate and personalised
Your BMR has been calculated on your Goal Sheet!
The Oxford formula is used to calculate your BMR in this program.
Men
Women
| Age | Formula |
|---|---|
| 0–3 | 61.0 × Weight (kg) – 33.7 |
| 3–10 | 23.3 × Weight (kg) + 514 |
| 10–18 | 18.4 × Weight (kg) + 581 |
| 18–30 | 16.0 × Weight (kg) + 545 |
| 30–60 | 14.2 × Weight (kg) + 593 |
| 60+ | 13.5 × Weight (kg) + 514 |
| Age | Formula |
|---|---|
| 0–3 | 58.9 × Weight (kg) – 23.1 |
| 3–10 | 20.1 × Weight (kg) + 507 |
| 10–18 | 11.1 × Weight (kg) + 761 |
| 18–30 | 13.1 × Weight (kg) + 558 |
| 30–60 | 9.74 × Weight (kg) + 694 |
| 60+ | 10.1 × Weight (kg) + 569 |
Your TDEE: What It Is and Why It’s So Important?
If a calorie deficit is the key to fat loss, your TDEE is the door. TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure — it’s the total number of calories your body burns in a day through:
- Your metabolism (just being alive)
- Daily movement (walking, chores, fidgeting)
- Exercise and workouts
- Bodily Functions (digestion, breathing, heartbeat etc.)
Your TDEE differs from your BMR. While your BMR is the number of calories your body needs for basic functioning, your TDEE measures the calories required for the entire day, including activities.
Once you know your TDEE, you can create a plan that helps you eat slightly less than you burn. — enough to lose fat, but not so little that you crash.
Think of your TDEE as your personal calorie budget.
Your TDEE has already been calculated for you!
See your Daily Kcal Allowance on your Goal Sheet.
So What Should You Do With Your TDEE?
To understand what you should do with your TDEE, first grasp that there are approximately 3,500 kcal in 1 pound of fat. In theory, this means that to lose 1 pound of fat, you need to create a 3,500 kcal deficit (by reducing intake, increasing activity, or both) over time.
| Goal | Calories to Aim For |
|---|---|
| 🟢 Maintain weight | Eat at your TDEE |
| 🔻 Lose fat (a calorie deficit) | Eat below TDEE (typically -250 to -500 kcal) |
| 🔺 Build muscle/weight (a calorie surplus) | Eat above TDEE (typically +250 to +500 kcal) |
Example:
If you’re currently moderately active and your TDEE is 2,696 kcal per day (as shown in Table 2), then:
- To maintain = Eat ~2,696 kcal
- To lose fat = Eat ~2,446 – 2,196 kcal
- To gain muscle = Eat ~2,946 – 3,196 kcal
Eating slightly below your TDEE consistently will lead to fat loss.
To find out more about staying in a deficit, click here.
Processed or Whole Foods: What You Need to Know
One of the biggest game-changers is understanding what you’re eating, not just how much. Making the distinction between whole foods and processed foods is the simplest but effective skill you can develop.
What Are Processed Foods?
Processed foods are items that have been altered from their original state — usually for taste, shelf life, or convenience.
Examples include:
Chips, biscuits, packaged meals, sugary drinks, white bread, deli meats, and flavored yogurts.
Most processed foods are calorie-dense but low in nutrition, which makes it far easier to overeat without feeling satisfied. That’s why it’s so easy to go over your calorie target when processed foods dominate your meals.
What Are Whole Foods?
Whole foods are ingredients that are as close to their natural state as possible. They’ve had little to no processing, meaning no added sugars, fats, or preservatives.
Think:
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish, eggs, plain dairy, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
These foods are naturally rich in nutrients and fiber, and they help you stay full for longer. They’re also typically lower in calories and harder to overeat — which makes them perfect for fat loss and better health overall.
Refined and Unrefined Foods: What’s the Difference?
Refined foods undergo processing to eliminate parts of the original food, such as the bran and germ from grains. This process results in a smoother texture and an extended shelf life, but it also takes away valuable fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Some common examples are white bread, sugary cereals, pastries, white rice, and many packaged snacks.
Unrefined foods are those that stay close to their natural roots. They are minimally processed, helping them keep all their original nutrients intact. Think of foods like whole grains such as brown rice and oats, fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts—foods that nourish your body in their most natural form.
Whole Food vs. Unrefined Food
- Whole food = straight from nature. Think of an apple, a potato, or a handful of nuts. It hasn’t been messed with much.
- Unrefined food = still very close to nature, but it might be prepared a little. For example, brown rice (instead of white rice), rolled oats (instead of sugary cereal). It still has the good stuff — fiber, vitamins, minerals.
So basically: all whole foods are unrefined, but not all unrefined foods are whole foods.
Processed vs. Refined Food
- Processed food just means changed from its natural state. That could be something simple like frozen veggies (which are still healthy) or something extreme like candy bars.
- Refined food is a special type of processed food where the healthy parts are taken out on purpose. Think white bread (they took out the grain’s “skin” and “germ”) or white rice (they polished away the good parts).
So: processed isn’t always bad. It depends on how it’s processed. Frozen peas? Fine. Doughnut? Not so fine.
The Real Problem
Most people think “processed” means all processed foods are bad. That’s not true.
- The real issue is when foods are refined too much, so they lose their natural goodness (fiber, vitamins, etc.).
- When you mostly eat refined foods, your body gets sugar spikes, you stay hungry, and you crave more junk.
- When you eat unrefined foods, your body gets steady energy, feels full, and actually works better.
Hydration: The Simplest Fix You’re Probably Overlooking
If you’re feeling tired, foggy, constantly craving snacks, or continuously getting headaches, you might just need more water.
Hydration plays a bigger role in your fat loss and fitness journey than you realise. It affects everything from your focus and energy to your hunger levels, recovery speed, and even how efficiently your body burns fat.
It’s also one of the easiest things to fix if you haven’t got it right yet. There is no tracking or planning, just simple, consistent action.
To determine how much water you should drink, click here.
Wrapping It Up
By now, you should have a basic understanding of what food really is.
You’ve learned about:
- Energy balance and how it drives fat loss or gain
- TDEE
- Nutrients and protein
- The difference between whole and processed foods
- The importance of hydration
This knowledge is your foundation, but knowledge alone won’t get results.
Let’s walk through some of the methods that’ll get your food choices in check.
Please make sure you have completed all sections below before proceeding to Step 2: Prepare
