In the context of food tracking, macros (short for macronutrients) refer to the three primary types of nutrients that provide energy and are essential for the body’s functioning. These are:
Carbohydrates: The body’s primary source of energy, found in foods like bread, rice, pasta, fruits, and vegetables. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which fuels bodily functions and physical activity.
Proteins: Crucial for building and repairing tissues, enzymes, hormones, and muscles. Protein is found in meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, legumes, and plant-based sources like tofu and quinoa.
Fats: Essential for energy storage, cell function, and absorption of certain vitamins (A, D, E, and K). Healthy fats come from sources like avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and fatty fish.
Okay, got it??? Good. :-)
It may not seem important, but if you have a weight loss and/or fitness goal, you might want to pay attention.
Before we explore macros further, let's touch on the concept known as 'Intuitive Eating', which is the way most of us naturally eat. Our meal times are typically influenced by our daily schedules as well as special occasions such as holidays, birthdays, sports events, weekends, and so on. In general, we tend to consume foods that appeal to us! There is nothing wrong with this way of eating. The downside is that it's not measurable. When you have fitness goals, it's pretty important to be able to make adjustments where needed and that's hard to do if you can't measure your macros.
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) recommends that healthy adults consume macronutrients in the following ratios:
Carbohydrates: 45–55% of calories for active individuals, and 55–65% for those who train for 1–2 hours a day, 4–6 days a week
Protein: 10–35% of calories
Fat: 20–35% of calories
The math?? I like to work in grams, not percentages so check this out.
For example, if you need 2,000 calories per day and 20% of those calories should come from protein, you would need 400 calories from protein. Since protein and carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram, you would need about 100 grams of protein per day
Does this make sense? Just a quick reminder that I am not a registered dietitian AND have been studying diet and nutrition my entire life. I have always found it fascinating how we can optimize our bodies and support ourselves through nutrition. The course work to become a registered dietician just did not make much sense to me, an athlete. I am going to offer up a range of grams for suggested macros based on what I have found to work best for those on a fitness journey of any kind.
PROTEIN
For muscle growth and/or maintenance, I've seen success in the range of 1g-2g of protein each day per pound of body weight. This means that if you weigh 150lbs, you will be eating between 100g-300g of protein per day. If you have chronic kidney disease, you will already know how many grams of protein each day you are allowed.
CARBS
It can be a bit challenging. If you aim to lose weight, you will still require carbohydrates, but it's advisable to keep them on the lower end of the spectrum, ideally between 1g-2g per pound of body weight. The complexity lies in selecting the right type of carbohydrates. Oats, rice, and potatoes are your best bet. I could go on and on about the devil that is dairy and wheat, but we shall save that topic for another day.
FAT
In the 1980s, it was commonly believed that to lose fat, we had to eliminate fat from our diets. How misguided! Fat is essential for the proper functioning of the body! Aim for about .4-.6g of fat per pound of body weight, focusing on healthy sources like nuts, nut oils, avocado, and fatty fish.
That's it!!
Macros arent' so scary. We don't worry much about calories if your macros fall into place.
This is where it gets interesting or challenging, depending on your perspective: If, for example, after a period of 2 weeks, you are not seeing fat loss in the mirror, as opposed to on the scale, you can change your macro numbers. I usually start with carbs first. I'm not a huge fan of keto (again, another topic for another day), so I rarely drop carbs below 50g per day.
Another important task is to monitor your food intake. It's difficult to decide on adjustments to your diet without knowing the quantities of food you consume.
There are a lot of good food tracking apps out there but my favorite is www.cronometer.com
Even I can use the free version, that's how simple it is!
Yes, I realize that macro calculation can be messy, but it doesn't have to be too difficult.
Decide if you are basing your numbers on a calorie count, like the ACE description above OR are you working with a number on the scale as described above with the 150lb person example.
ONE MORE THING!
Okay more than one....always consult your doctor before making significant changes to your diet. Certain conditions, such as diabetes and thyroid disorders, require careful consideration when altering food intake. And here's the biggie: when beginning a weight loss or body recomp program, there are many non-scale victories. Get pictures and take comparisons. You will be happy that you did!
QUOTES FROM THE BLACK TOP
"Anything in the gym can be a smoke machine if you use it wrong enough!"
Questions?? Hit me up!
love and lifting,
Karen
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