

But if you are new to tracking I suggest starting with just calories, then adding in protein, and potentially adding in carbs and fats as you feel comfortable. Is it better to count macros or calories?īoth are great tactics for reaching your goals, tracking your macros is a little more specific because sometimes calories can be over or underestimated on nutrition labels, and tracking macros minimizes error. It allows for muscle growth because your energy consumption is equal to the energy you are expending so you can perform better in the gym and recover better. Building muscle is done more optimally in maintenance, which as it sounds, is when you maintain your weight at a higher amount of calories. Fat loss also means being in a calorie deficit or burning more calories than you are consuming. But it is not possible to build muscle and lose fat optimally at the same time. This is a hot question and you may not like the answer. What is the best macro ratio for fat loss and muscle gain? If done properly it should get you to a place of comfortably eating intuitively, but it is important to recognize you are not going to see results overnight. It is not an extreme diet where you are eating less than 1000 calories a day, it is a sustainable plan that teaches you about portions, that all foods fit, and that you can probably eat more than you think that you can. Macro tracking definitely works, but regardless it is going to take time. When I say deficit I am referring to fat loss numbers. If you know your maintenance numbers, typically a good starting point for fat loss would be around 350 calories below that, if you want to be more aggressive you can aim for a 500-calorie deficit. If you have no idea where you maintain your weight it is going to be more difficult to figure out where you will lose weight, but it is possible. To set your macros for fat loss it is best if you know what calories/macros you maintain your weight at. That is why I recommend 1:1 coaching or my custom macro assessments. Using a calculator will provide you will a good baseline, but it is important to know how many calories you are currently consuming, what your dieting history is like, and to be truthful when it comes to daily activity. It can be quite complicated, there are calculators out there that can help with this, but if you try multiple calculators you may realize that you get different numbers with each. I always use My Fitness Pal because I started with that app and it is what I am used to. There are various apps, and it is subjective to say which one is the ‘best’ because everyone has different opinions. It is very possible to do this the old-school way and use a spreadsheet, but there are many apps out there that allow you to track your macros quite easily.

Protein grams*4 + Carb grams*4 + Fat grams*9 = total calories So in order to get your total calories for food, you can do this math equation If macros are carbs, fats, and protein, and they make up the foods that we eat, then they also make up the calories that we eat right? Now that we know what macros are, would you agree that you consume these every day and need them to survive? Ok, cool, so what does it mean to track them? Protein helps build and repair body tissues, some examples are yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken, beef, eggs, fish, and protein powders. To break it down even further let’s talk about each macro.Ĭarbohydrates are mainly sugars and starches, some examples are bread, oatmeal, rice cakes, pasta, fruit, vegetables, jellies, jams, hard candies, and pretzels.įats are mainly fats and lipids also known as triglycerides, some examples are, olive oil, avocados, coconut oil, nut butter, nuts, and seeds. The three macronutrients are carbohydrates, fats, and protein. You need them to survive, and consuming them supplies you with your daily energy, also known as calories.

Macronutrients are a part of your daily life, whether you know it or not.
MACRO TRACKING HOW TO
What is macro tracking? I am sure you have heard about this term but there are so many things to learn, right? Don’t worry, this blog has it all, from what it is, how to set your macro numbers, and even where to find the best macro friendly recipes.
