I’m sure you’ve heard of macros at some point scrolling through social media, especially in the fitness world. Did you ever wonder what they were and if they could help you reach your fitness goals?
Today, I’m sharing a quick overview with you on what they are and the pros and cons of including this type of tracking into your overall goals.
What is counting macros?
Counting macros is aka IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros). Macros are short for macronutrients. Macronutrients consist of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, which make up a food’s composition and help you create energy. They are easily found on the food labels of most foods as well as calorie counting apps.
<- <-Each macronutrient possesses it’s own number of calories, as you can see in the table to the left.
Following a macro diet allows you to go beyond counting calories. Depending on what your health goals are and what you want to achieve, you can customize your macro ratios in order to lose weight, build muscle, or enter maintenance mode. Being able to customize to what your body needs, allows you to have better results.
Breakdown of Macros…
Protein
Examples: Egg whites, egg yolks, milk, cheese, yogurt, chicken, turkey, pork, beef, fish, beans, nuts, legumes, soy, tofu
Protein aids in recovery and muscle growth, it also contributes to feeling full and satisfied.
Carbohydrates
Carbs include sugars, starches, and fibers. (1) They are the body's primary source of energy. Your brain and muscles prefer to use them as fuel.
There are two types of carbs: simple and complex. Complex digest slower and keep you full longer. They have a steady release of energy due to their fiber content. They include oatmeal, rice, quinoa, etc. Simple carbs digest quickly. They include cereals, chips, candy, cookies, etc.
Fats
Examples: Olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, nut butters, avocados, nuts, salmon
Fats are essential nutrients that are needed for energy and critical functions, such as hormone production, nutrient absorption, and body temperature maintenance. (2)
What are the benefits?
1.) You get to learn so much about your food and your eating habits. When you track, you can see what you eat most of or what you eat the least. You start understanding the breakdown of the foods you eat on the daily as well as newer foods or favorite foods that will fit into your numbers.
2.) Keeping track of your macros allows for flexibility and customization. So you can personalize your ratios to the fitness and health goals you have. There is no one-size fits all. It’s easier to make it a lifestyle, especially when you constantly have life events and social gatherings, you can adjust accordingly and stick to it while seeing results.
3.) BALANCE! Counting macros lets you live a life of balance. Eating mostly nutrient dense foods, you can still enjoy foods you love and eating out because you can adjust your numbers. So many diets are restrictive and short-lived, but macros don’t force you to restrict or eliminate entire food groups.
What are some downfalls?
1.) Even though you can pretty much eat whatever you want while counting macros, you have to remember balance for health benefits. Make sure you eat mostly nutrient dense foods and then of course you can include your favorites or even learn substitutions for your favorite foods.
There are no good or bad foods, it’s finding a happy medium where you can see results and take care of your health. So having snickers all day, everyday is probably not the best approach!
2.) Counting macros does take time and can potentially be stressful for some. You are tracking what goes in for every meal. Weighing your food, planning ahead, and taking the time to calculate your specific macros by experimenting with numbers and the progress of your results. It takes time to get use to, but you can see amazing results.
