Return of the Mac(ros)

November 6, 2019

11:00 AM

Macro this and macro that. What the heck is a macro? There’s a ton of buzz around macros and this “new” way of dieting.

In fact, this is the way that I personally keep track of what I eat.. Of course, this is my own personal preference and it may not be for everyone. But because there is so much hooplah! around it, I figured we should discuss it, no?

What Are They

Macronutrients, or macros, are the newest diet hit when it comes to the fitness industry. You may have heard of “flexible dieting” or “If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM)” as well. These are all interchangeable terms when talking about macros.

Now, if you’ve read my previous post titled “It’s Not Sexy to Lose Fat”, you’ll know that the key to weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume. And to determine how many calories to eat, a specific formula is used to create that number. But it also key to know WHAT exactly to eat.

What I mean by this is how many grams of protein, fats, and carbs an individual should consume. These three major food categories are in everything we eat and are what make up macros.

How Many

The amount of macros consumed varies person to person and man does it VARY. Of course, there are general numbers, rule of thumb numbers you could say, that can help determine how much should be consumed, but it is so different for everyone (This is why I don’t like to post on my own macros because I don’t want anyone copying them as they are tailored to ME).

Let’s start with protein. Women may need less grams per pound, men may need more. It just depends. The variability is even more so for fats and carbs. Not only are the number of grams different for each person, there are MANY studies on the manipulation of fats and carbs...keto anyone?

"...there are MANY studies on the manipulation of fats and carbs...keto anyone?"

How to Calculate

There are online calculators that can help give a good starting point, but again, do you research. These will be general numbers and not necessarily the most accurate. (Even the infamous MyFitnessPal tends to be a little off, especially with the amount of protein).

But you can figure out your own macros as well. Just need to do a little math here...ut oh...

Ok, so each gram of protein, fats, and carbs equal a certain amount of calories.

Protein=4 calories per gram

Fats= 9 calories per gram

Carbs= 4 calories per gram

With this information, plus the number of calories you know you need to consume to reach your goal weight, you can figure out good starting macros with the following generalizations:

Protein intake should be between 0.7-1.0 grams per pound of body weight.

Fat intake should be between 0.25-0.4 grams per pound of body weight.

The remaining calories are for carbs.

My recommendation is to use these numbers for at least two weeks and see how you feel. Did you lose too much weight? Gain weight? Do you feel sluggish and hungry, or are you energized and feeling good? You may need to adjust your macros depending on your answers.

Even though we are all very independent adults, I do highly suggest still hiring a coach that’s nutrition certified to figure out these macros for you (see Which Coach is My Coach).

What Now

So you have your macro numbers- now what? Well let’s think of macros like a budget. You have a certain amount of money that you can spend, but it is up to you how you would like to spend this money.

"You have a certain number of proteins, fats, and carbs to eat, and it is up to you to determine how you’d like to spend/eat them."

The same goes for macros. You have a certain number of proteins, fats, and carbs to eat, and it is up to you to determine how you’d like to spend/eat them.

Example:

Your macros are 130 grams of protein, 40 grams of fat, 200 grams of carbs. You go to Dunkin and eat one glazed donut.

According to their website, the macros for a glazed donut are 4 grams of protein, 11 grams of fat, and 33 grams of carbs.

So for your macro “budget”, you would calculate:

Protein: 130g - 4g = 126g of protein left to eat for the day

Fats: 40g - 11g= 29g of fat left to eat for the day

Carbs: 200g - 33g= 167g of carbs left to eat for the day

Again, it’s up to you how you like to use your macros, which is why this is considered the most flexible way of dieting. It allows you to potentially enjoy your favorite foods while still being in a calorie deficit.

Note: If you want to eat that donut, go for it! You do you but keep in mind that just because it is within your macros, it doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Donuts are still deep fried dough covered in sugar...

How to Track

The easiest way to keep track of your macros is with an app on your phone. MyFitnessPal is easily the most popular app and the one I use myself. They have a very large database that allows you to search for the foods you’re eating and even scan bar codes of products to add.

Points to Consider

While tracking macros might seem like the best thing ever and the solution to all our dieting problems, there are a few things to be aware of.

• The first is that it can be extremely tedious, annoying, frustrating to have to keep track of everything you eat and drink (oh yeah, drinks have macros too). Everything needs to be tracked and therefore, you will have to plan out what you want to eat for the day, everyday. This is where it helps to meal prep so you don’t have to think about your macros so much (see It’s Time to Meal Prep).

• The second thing is that you start looking at food as numbers rather than as...well...food. As someone who has been doing this a while, I struggle with this a LOT. Even on a day that I’m not tracking, I will subconsciously think “ok, so an egg is about 5 grams of fat and 6 grams of protein. Do I really want the fat from the egg or do I just want to eat an egg white which is 0 fat and 5 grams of protein?”.

• The third thing to be aware of is that your meals may not make much sense. Say you’re at the end of the day, but you still have a very small amount of macros to eat but not enough to make a full meal. This last meal could end up being two egg whites, half a rice cake, and three dill pickles. A crazy combo, but you did reach your macro goals for the day.

Micronutrients

Don’t forget your micronutrients. These are the essential vitamins and minerals that your body also needs. They typically aren’t tracked but are still very important for overall health.

Before You Go…

The last little tidbit I’d like to mention is that there is no such thing as a miracle diet. Any change in weight still comes down to calories in versus calories out. And remember that life is more than counting calories, macros- whatever. Live a life that makes you the happiest and healthiest version of yourself you can be!

So raise your glazed donut, my macro tracking cherubs…

...Here’s to Health. Cheers.

P.S. This is a ton of information in an itty-bitty blog so if there are any questions, feel free to comment below!