What are macros?
We eat a combination of macronutrients and micronutrients each day. Macronutrients are the nutrients we need in a large quantity, like protein, fat, and carbohydrates. These nutrients provide our body with calories, which we use for energy. Protein and carbohydrates provide about 4 calories per gram and fat provides about 9 calories per gram. The calories add up to help us lose, maintain, or gain weight, depending on our individual energy needs.
Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals we consume, but they are needed in a much smaller amount. Micronutrients are needed to convert the macronutrients into energy, and they have many other functions.
We need different amounts of macronutrients depending on various factors:
- Age
- Activity level
- Fitness goal (building muscle vs. losing fat vs. long distance running, etc.)
- Body composition (lean mass vs. fat mass)
- Body type (ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph
- Health status (chronic disease vs. healthy)
Why count macros?
When just counting calories, you may not be getting all the nutrients you need. You’ll know the total number of calories, but what are your calories composed of? Different amounts of macros have differing hormonal responses in your body that can affect energy levels, body fat percentage, health status, and much more. Also, depending on your health goal, you may need to change the percentage of carbs, protein, of fat you are consuming.
There are both pros and cons for tracking your macros:
PROS:
- More tailored to your fitness goal
- Can take the guesswork out of eating and can make tweaks where needed
- Helps to differentiate where your calories are coming from
- Helps you to distribute macros appropriately throughout the day
- Good for people who are already lean and may just need a few small tweaks to get to their final goal (ex. bodybuilders, etc)
- Good for timeline goals
- Makes you more aware of what you’re eating and foods that provide certain nutrients
CONS:
- Time consuming and tedious
- Not necessarily focused on a well-rounded diet, ex. poptarts and ice cream being included just because they fit the macro count
- Can take enjoyment out of food
- Not recommended for beginners just learning how to eat a healthy balanced diet
- Can become obsessive, especially in quest of a “perfect day”
- Hard to track when eating out
How do you figure out your macros?
If you have decided you would like to track your macros, let’s get started. First, calculate how many calories you need per day. One of my favorite websites for this is www.caloriecalculator.net. It will base your calorie recommendation on your age, height, weight, and activity level. Just a note- it is not recommended to eat below 1200 calories to ensure you are getting enough nutrients.
Next, you determine what percentage of carbohydrates, protein, and fat you will eat daily.
There are lots of factors that contribute to how much you should consume. A few examples- Endurance runners/cyclists/athletes typically need a higher amount of carbohydrates to help fuel their exercise. A person looking to reduce body fat percentage may need to increase their protein and decrease their carbs. Endomorph body types typically respond better to higher protein and fat and a low carb eating plan. A bodybuilder may eat a high protein, moderate carb, and low-fat eating plan. And the list goes on and on…
I strongly encourage you to meet with a registered dietitian or nutritionist so they can recommend an amount that is personalized for you based on your health history, body type, age, and fitness goals. Here is a breakdown of various percentage ranges per macro:
Carbohydrates
High: 50-65%
Mod: 40-50%
Low: less than 40%
Protein
High: more than 30%
Mod: 20-30%
Low: 10-20%
Fat
High: more than 30%
Mod: 20-30%
Low: less than 20%
Now for the tougher part. This is where you will need a calculator. After determining your calorie needs and the percentages for your macros, you will need to figure out the number of grams needed.
Let’s say you need 1800 calories a day for your fitness goal, and you have decided to eat 40% carbs, 40% protein, and 20% fat. How do you calculate?
- Carbohydrates have about 4 calories per gram
If you are eating 40% of calories from carbs, you multiply 1800 calories x 40%= 720 calories
Next, you will divide 720 calories by 4 calories/gram= 180 grams of carbs per day
- Protein has about 4 calories per gram
If you are eating 40% of calories from protein, you multiply 1800 calories x 40%= 720 calories
Next, you will divide 720 calories by 4 calories/gram= 180 grams of protein per day
- Fat has about 9 calories per gram
If you are eating 20% of calories from fat, you multiply 1800 calories x 20%= 360 calories
Next, you will divide 360 calories by 9 calories/gram= 40 grams of fat per day
So your day would consist of 1800 calories, made up of 180 grams of carbs, 180 grams of protein, and 40 grams of fat.
How do you track?
Once you have calculated your specific needs, you will need to track it to make sure you’re eating what you need. Use either a calorie tracker or notebook to add up your meals for the day. Calorieking.com, NutritionData.com, and the USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference are a few resources I recommend to look up your food. MyFitnessPal.com and LoseIt.com are a couple online trackers to keep record of what you eat. I do want to mention to be careful about the entries in MyFitnessPal. Because entries are added in by other users, values may not always be accurate, which will throw off your calculations.
Next, you will need a food scale and measuring cups to measure your portion sizes. Keep in mind protein shrinks after it has been cooked. The nutrition labels on meat packages measure the nutrients in the raw amount. Chicken typically shrinks to about 70% of its raw weight, so 4 ounces cooked is really 5.71 ounces raw. When you are tracking, pay attention to whether you are tracking the raw amount or cooked amount, because they will differ.
Who should track?
As you can see, tracking your macros can be a lot of work, so you should make the decision if this is the right method for you. Just like there are many different eating styles to choose from, this is just one of many other methods. You do not necessarily have to track your macros to meet your fitness goal. The questions you should ask yourself are:
- Is this sustainable?
- Can you eat this way for a long period of time?
- Does it fit your lifestyle?
- Are you on a timeline?
These answers will vary by person. If you are curious about how you normally eat and whether you are getting the nutrients you need, I recommend tracking for a couple weeks to notice the patterns in your eating plan. Tracking will show you if changes need to be made and why you may not be progressing toward your fitness goal.
Counting your macros is just another tool that you can use to move toward a healthy lifestyle. Regardless of what tools you decide to use, consistently following healthy habits should be the main goal overall.
Sources:
To Macro or Not: Should You Track Your Macro Intake- https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/to-macro-or-not-should-you-track-your-macro-intake.html
Is counting macros necessary? Pros and Cons of Tracking Macros. https://www.fitnessblender.com/articles/is-counting-macros-necessary-pros-and-cons-of-tracking-macros
If It Fits Your Macros. https://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
What Are Macros. https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/What-Macros-40526988
If It Fits Your Macros Diet—AKA ‘IIFYM’—Pros And Cons. http://www.self.com/story/whether-the-if-it-fits-your-macros-diet-aka-iifym-can-really-help-you-lose-weight
Pros and Cons of Macro Counting. https://wingsnfitness.wordpress.com/2015/04/18/455/
5 Best Calorie Counters. https://authoritynutrition.com/5-best-calorie-counters/
I am not into counting macros and micros intake as you have said this process is really tedious. What I do is eat healthy and in moderation so I dont starve nor overfeed myself. I have been doing great so far, I eat a lot of high fiber fruits and veggies to help me with my digestion.
https://myeasychoices.com/foods-high-in-fiber/