How to Count Macros – The Basics
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Have you ever felt stuck in your bad eating habits? The experts say nutrition and eating are 80% of your overall success in fat loss or muscle building and overall health. In my opinion, this makes it even more overwhelming. It took me years and years to find something that finally helped me break my habits I wanted to get rid of. Although I never really bought in to any of the diets out there, I did want to learn how to eat well in a way that would increase my overall health. This post on how to count macros will explain what a macro is, why they are important, how to find out how much of each macro your body needs, and how to track your macros.
I used to think I was eating “healthy”. I would try to eat only whole grains, a lot of fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats. The problem was I never accounted for how much I was actually eating altogether. I never got real results until I discovered how to count macros. This method of eating and tracking food has literally changed my life. I know now how to create balanced meals that make my body feel good.
The thing that I love most about macro counting is that you do not have to cut out any specific food groups. Let me repeat that. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CUT OUT ANY SPECIFIC FOODS. Wait, really?! Yes, really! Do you want to eat bread? Go ahead and eat bread. Do you want to have a treat? Go ahead and eat one. The process of not restricting complete food groups made all the difference for me. Before I found macros I really thought I was going to have to cut out sugar and carbs forever.
Today I am going to share with you the basics of how to count macros. The process of macro counting can seem a little overwhelming at first. Especially to somebody who has never tracked or counted their calories before. There is definitely a learning curve. However if you are willing to put in the work and learn, I can promise you it will pay off. Usually within 2-3 weeks, it becomes second nature and only takes about 5 minutes or less per day.
I think it’s a good idea for everyone to track their food at least for a little while. Like I mentioned before, I had no idea that I was over eating even though I was eating healthy foods. Science has proven that exerting more calories than you take in is the only way to lose weight. If you eat more calories than you exert, you will gain weight. You can not outwork bad nutrition. I know that isn’t what we want to hear but science has proved this.
What is a macro?
Macro is short for macronutrient. A macronutrient is an energy producing substance in your food. The three main macronutrients are proteins, carbs, and fat. Each macronutrient has important jobs in keeping our bodies healthy. That is why it is so beneficial to track each one to make sure your body is getting optimal nutrients. This is not only optimal for functions of the body but great for goals of fat loss or muscle gain. All 3 macronutrients are incredibly important for overall health.
Why are macros important?
Like I mentioned above, each macronutrient has a specific and important job in the body. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel and are important for brain health. They also help with our digestive system. Protein has many important functions. Some of the top include cell growth, repair and recovery, and muscle growth. Fat is critical in hormone regulation, body temperature regulation, and nutrient absorption.
How much of each macronutrient I should eat?
Each persons macronutrient needs are going to be completely different. Many factors are taken into account such as gender, age, height, current weight, goal weight, physical activity frequency and intensity. There are a lot of free macro calculators online that will give you a good starting point. My favorite is this macro calculator. The first step is to begin tracking your overall calories for about a week. This will give you a starting point to see how your body responds. It is crucial that you give a set of numbers an honest try for at least 2 weeks before adjusting them.
How do I track my macros?
The most simple way to track your macros is to download an app. There are many to choose from but my favorite is myfitnesspal. The app is simple to use. It has a scanner that you can scan the labels from your food directly into the tracker. I suggest doing this for everything especially at the beginning to ensure accuracy. I found this helpful tutorial for using myfitnesspal here. Like everything, there is a learning curve but it becomes easy pretty quickly. You’ll also need a food scale to measure how much you are eating. I have used this scale for over three years and I love it. It is simple and easy to use.
Well there you have it my friends. This is just the first post of many more to come on how to count macros. I plan to go more into depth on macro counting tips and tricks that I have learned a long the way. If you have any questions that you would like covered in upcoming posts, please reach out and let me know! You can hit the contact button or send me a DM on instagram. Happy counting!
You can find some of my favorite macro friendly recipes here.
