Adjusting Nutrition for Weight Loss/Gain/ Maintenance: Notes from The Renaissance Diet 2.0

Adjusting Nutrition for Weight Loss/Gain/Maintenance: Notes from The Renaissance Diet 2.0

Rules of thumb:

-Collect averages, at least 2-3 data points per week under same conditions

-Watch changes for at least 2-3 weeks before making adjustments

Helpful Equations

1 lb of tissue ~ 3500 calories

1 gram of fat = 9 calories

1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories

1 gram of protein = 4 calories

Keeping these equations in mind, every extra 3500 calories ingested results in roughly 1 lb body weight gained and every 3500 calorie deficit results in approximately 1 lb body weight lost. This information can be used to appropriately adjust your diet based on targeted losses, targeted gains, or the need to alter your diet to maintain weight.

If you need to lose 1 lb per week, you simply drop 3500 calories from your diet per week. For other weekly weight change amounts, simply multiply the weekly weight in pounds by 3500. For example, if you are looking to lose ~0.8 lb per week, you need a weekly calorie deficit of 0.8 x 3500 = 2800 calories. Across the 7 days of the week this translates to a 2800 ÷ 7 = 400 calorie deficit per day.

When altering your diet, the calories per gram of macro value can be used to determine how much of any given macro must be cut to achieve the desired calorie change. If you needed to cut 400 calories per day and were doing so by reducing fats, 400 calories is approximately 400 ÷ 9 ~ 44g fat. Fat has 9 calories per gram, so dividing the calorie amount you need to change by the calories per gram of the macronutrient you will alter gives you the grams of macronutrient you must change. This can be done by modifying a single macro or a combination of macronutrients to achieve the desired calorie change.

Calculating Gain/Loss Calories

1. Construct an isocaloric diet (weight is maintained).

2. Add or subtract the daily calories needed to create your surplus or deficit. To do this, take your desired weekly percentage body weight change and convert to pounds. So if you weigh 155 and are looking to gain 0.5% body weight per week, this translates to ~0.8 lb per week. In calories this means you need 0.8 x 3500 = 2800 extra calories per week or 400 extra calories per day. If, on the other hand, you are looking to lose at a rate of 1% per week, this translates to ~1.5 lb per week. In calories this means you need a weekly deficit of 1.5 x 3500 = 5250 calories per week––a 750 calorie daily deficit. Adjust your daily maintenance intake according to the needed surplus or deficit needed to hit your goals.

Maintenance: keeping in the range of 1.25% +/- target weight

Examples:

-To maintain 115lb: 115×0.0125 = 1.43 = 113.5lb-116.5lb range

-To maintain 52kg = 52×0.0125 = .65 = 51.3-52.6kg range

Reducing calories when weight increases (can also be used to calculate calories for fat loss/calorie deficit):

If weekly weight changes across three weeks are showing an average increase, calculate the number of calories that would yield that average increase.

For example, take the increases observed in Table 11.2 (muscle gain weight log: +1.3 lb from week 1 to 2 and -0.4 lb from week 2 to 3), and imagine these weigh-ins were collected on a maintenance diet. The average weekly weight gain here comes out to ~0.8 lb. In calories, 0.8 lb is roughly 3500 x 0.8 = 2800 calories––so in this example the maintenance calories were over by 2800 per week or 2800 ÷ 7 = 400 per day. In this case, 400 calories should be subtracted per day to achieve weight maintenance.

Weight should then be monitored for another two to three weeks and adjusted again if needed.

Adding calories when weight drops (can also be used to calculate calories for muscle gain/calorie surplus):

If weekly changes across three weeks show an average decrease, calculate the number of calories that would yield that average decrease.

For example, if someone trying to maintain weight observed the decreases in Table 11.3 (fat loss weight log: -1.3 lb from week 1 to 2 and -1.6 lb from week 2 to 3), the average weekly weight loss here is ~1.5 lb. In calories, 1.5 lb is roughly 3500 x 1.5 = 5250 calories––so in this example the maintenance calories were off by 5250 per week or 5250 ÷ 7 = 750 per day. In this case, 750 calories should be added per day to achieve weight maintenance.

Again, weight should then be monitored for another two to three weeks and further adjustments made if needed.

Muscle Gain: trending up 0.5% bodyweight/week

Examples:

-115lb: 115×0.005 = .5lb/week

-52kg: 52×0.005 = .2kg/week

Fat Loss: trending down 1% bodyweight/week

Examples:

-115lb: 115×0.01 = 1lb/week

-52kg: 52×0.01 = .5kg/week

Reference

Israetel, M., Davis, M., Case, J., & Hoffmann, J. (2020). The renaissance diet 2.0: Your scientific guide to fat loss, muscle gain, and performance. Meyer & Meyer Sport.