Macros chatter is everywhere. Counting them, calculating them. But what are macros? While you might have a pretty good idea, you may not know just how big of a deal protein, fat, and carbohydrates are to our bodies and overall health and fitness journey.
What exactly are macros?
Macronutrients, aka macros, are the three major sources of nutrients our bodies need for energy. Macronutrients in a diet include fats, protein, and carbohydrates. Macros are important because they help fuel our body with the most important nutrients and are essential in any weight-loss plan. “Macroing” is just another way of saying counting macros as part of a macronutrient diet.
What is a macro diet?
A macro diet isn’t a diet in the traditional sense in that it doesn’t restrict certain foods. Counting macros is more of a guideline to the types and amount of fats, protein, and carbohydrates that will best fuel your body and support strength-training and weight-loss efforts and an overall healthy lifestyle.
Our friends at Stronger U created a macronutrient cheat sheet of the best (and least valuable) macronutrient foods to support your health and wellness.
Counting macros: How to do it
Counting macros in fitness is a way for you to prioritize and track macronutrients during a wellness journey or as part of a weight-loss plan. So how do you count macros? It’s actually pretty simple.
By using the labels on your food or nutrition app, you can calculate any food’s macros using this rule of thumb:
- Fat: 1 gram of fat is 9 calories
- Protein: 1 gram is 4 calories
- Carbohydrates: 1 gram is 4 calories
For example, if a food contains 20 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fat, and 50 grams of protein, it would contain approximately 298 calories.
Types of macronutrients
Let’s take a closer look at each macronutrient and explain why they’re so important to your everyday diet.
The power of fats
Dietary fats are important because they’re the macronutrient that supports cell function in the body as well as gives us energy. Fats also help our bodies absorb nutrients, protect our organs, and keep us warm.
Eating foods with fat is a part of a healthy diet, and the American Heart Association recommends you prioritize healthier fats, choose low-fat or nonfat dairy, and eat lean meat or poultry.
Types of fats
There are four major dietary fats found in food:
- Saturated fats
- Trans fats
- Monounsaturated fats
- Polyunsaturated fats
Fats considered healthier include monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and omega-3 fats, which are found in foods like salmon; fats considered less healthy include saturated and trans fats like those found in fried foods.
As we mentioned, 1 gram of fat accounts for 9 calories, making fats very energy-dense compared to protein and carbohydrates (1 gram of each is equal to 4 calories).
Counting healthy carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the macronutrient that is the main source of energy for our bodies, helps protect against disease, and can even help control weight, according to Mayo Clinic. “Despite what proponents of low-carb diets claim, few studies show that a diet rich in healthy carbs leads to weight gain or obesity.”
Types of carbohydrates
Carbs include sugar, starch, and fibers — everything from fruits and vegetables to whole grains and dairy. These are further broken down into simple and complex carbs.
- Simple carbs include sugar and starches that are quickly digested (think white bread).
- Complex carbs like lentils are digested more slowly, giving the body an extended source of energy.
Tracking protein for weight loss
Protein is important because it is the macronutrient that helps our bodies function properly. Protein is where we get essential amino acids, which play a major role in the health of everything from skin and muscles to enzymes and antibodies. Eating a diet high in protein can help curb hunger, maintain a healthy weight, build muscle (and reduce muscle loss), and speed up recovery after exercise or an injury.
Counting and tracking macros like protein ensures you are getting the most benefits from powerhouse nutrients while keeping an eye on calories.
Healthy protein options that support weight loss and satiety include soy, nuts, dairy such as cottage cheese, meats like beef and poultry, and fish and seafood. Less healthy proteins include highly processed cheeses like American, yogurt with high sugar content, and processed or fried meat. The National Academy of Medicine recommends adults get at least 7 grams of protein for every 20 pounds of body weight; so a 160-pound woman should aim to eat 58 grams of protein each day.
Tracking macros in recipes
Counting macros has become so commonplace that it’s easy to find recipes online that cater to macronutrient diets or people using macros to aid in weight loss. It can be as simple as searching for high-protein recipes online or on social channels through the search function or hashtags.
Check out our nutrition hub to learn healthy grocery shopping habits (hint: plan ahead!) and easy recipes like our Protein-Packed Banana Bread in a Mug that will keep your macros on track and your belly full.
Turning numbers into a macro diet
Figuring out your macros and how many you should eat in a day — whether you want to track macros for fitness or as a way to lose weight — comes down to how many calories you need to either maintain your weight or to create a calorie deficit for weight loss.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to macros. Depending on your goals, macros can be used to make sure you are hitting certain intakes. Technology like the Evolt 360 at Anytime Fitness gyms can actually identify the correct macro distribution to help you reach your goals faster based on your unique body composition.
Macronutrient diet and calories
The easiest way to start counting macros is to understand what calorie range you’d like to be in to maintain your weight or to create a calorie deficit for weight loss, and find foods and recipes that will help you succeed.
- Fats: 20% to 35% of calories
- Protein: 10% to 35% of calories
- Carbs: 45% to 65% of calories
On a standard 2,000 calories a day, you can break down your diet this way:
- Calories from fat: 400 to 700
- Calories from protein: 200 to 700
- Calories from carbs: 900 to 1,300
Macronutrients vs. calories for weight loss
Counting macros takes “calories in, calories out” to a new level by breaking it down into different categories. Different activity levels can lead to higher-calorie diets, so it’s important to consult with a dietitian, personal trainer or coach to determine your caloric demands.
Even with standard guidelines, there is a lot of wiggle room within the macroing diet and calories numbers, in particular in the amounts for women vs. men. Goals such as weight loss or muscle gain can further change these numbers to maximize your diet.
According to the Mayo Clinic, cutting about 500 calories a day from a usual diet may result in ½ to 1 pounds of weight loss each week. Of course, these results can vary greatly based on your body, current and ideal weight, gender, and activity level. Remember that fitness is key to weight loss because the more calories you burn, the more your body will use fat reserves as energy.
Counting macros and calories to lose weight
Counting calories and macros can be the secret weapon for beginners when it comes to weight loss, and there are thousands of recipes online to prioritize both approaches. Counting calories without counting macros may lead to a calorie deficit, but that doesn’t mean the foods those calories are coming from are necessarily high in protein, healthy fats, or ideal carbohydrates.
Counting both macros and calories — and choosing recipes that emphasize both — gives your weight-loss plan a one-two punch and ensures you’re giving your body maximum nutrition while keeping calories in check.
A macronutrient diet is key to weight loss
Counting your macros can help you have a better understanding of what your body needs to make energy. It can also help with overeating and allows you to be flexible since no foods are off-limits. Counting macros allows you to be intentional with your meals — looking at recipes and food swaps in a strategic way — makes room for indulgence, and keeps you in charge. As long as your food fits into your macros for the day, there’s no such thing as a cheat meal.
Even if you don’t count every single macro, every single day — and no, you don’t have to always hit your macros exactly to see results — you still benefit from knowing your ideal macros range and macronutrients’ effects on your body.
A final word on macroing
Counting macros may be a helpful practice for some, but daunting and restrictive to others. Some people find more success with focusing on what they are eating instead of the numbers that macros present. There are many different ways to ensure you are making healthy choices that lead to holistic health. It is important to find what works best for you and helps you reach your goals, macros or not.
Find the Anytime Fitness gym nearest you to ask about the Evolt 360 body scanner, which can help you personalize a macros diet plan.
