How Counting Your Macros Can Help You Reach Your Nutrition Goals
Macronutrients, commonly referred to as macros, determine the calorie content of your food. They are the fats, proteins, and carbohydrates that make up the composition of a diet, and they aid in the production of vital energy. Food provides you with the energy you require to get through the day if it is not entirely made up of sugar and fats. It is critical to provide your body with a balanced diet that includes all the nutrients it need. Counting macros can help you meet your diet objectives, whether aiming to lose weight or gain muscle.
Counting macros helps you focus on food quality rather than calorie counting. There is no need to count both because macros equal calories. Carbohydrates and proteins account for most macronutrients and give roughly four calories per gram, whereas fats supply the highest amount at nine calories per gram. Macronutrients, on the other hand, have suggested ranges. The Food and Nutrition Board suggests splitting up your macros as follows:
- Protein=10 to 35 percent
- Carbohydrates=45 to 65 percent
- Fat=20 to 35 percent
- Fiber=25-30 grams
Macro Group 1: Protein
Proteins are nutrients consist of amino acid building blocks that make up who you are and support you in many ways. Amino acids (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine) are essential.
Proteins assist in constructing and repairing tissue structure, controlling metabolism, and maintaining our bodies’ pH levels, among other things. They are also crucial for muscular growth and might make you feel full. Here are common sources of protein:
- Fish
- Chicken
- Beans
- Beef
- Organic or fermented soy
- Lentils
- Yogurt
- Egg
- Milk/Dairy
Macro Group 2: Carbs
Carbs, often known as carbohydrates, are sugar molecules, and your body breaks down these molecules into glucose, the primary energy source for your tissues, cells, and organs.
Carbohydrates aid in the body’s fueling during exercise, preserving muscle mass by reducing the burden placed on protein and providing energy to the brain.
Sugars, starches, and fiber are the three primary forms of carbs. Since sugar is the most basic carbohydrate, it is called a simple carb. Starches are collections of sugars strung together, and fiber cannot be broken down into simple sugars by the body; they are referred to as complex carbs.
Sources of Carbohydrates:
- Beans
- Rice
- Starches
- Fresh Fruits
- Whole Grains
Macro Group 3: Fats
Fats, also known as lipids or fatty acids, are a food that consists of three molecules linked together. We can generate most of the fat our bodies require, but there are some “essential fats” that we must obtain from the diet, such as Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats.
Fats function as energy reserves, offer insulation, protect organs from injury, and aid in delivering vitamins. There are three types of fats that humans consume:
- Unsaturated fats from plants
- Saturated fats from animals
- Trans fats from processed foods
Unsaturated fats are the healthiest, saturated fats are the same in moderation, and trans fats are the most harmful.
Sources of Fat
- Butter
- Oil
- Grass-fed beef
- Coconuts
- Avocados
- Eggs
- Fish
- Nuts/Seeds
Macro Group 4: Fiber
Fibers pass through the body undigested. Since fiber can be found in many different foods, it is considered a super nutrient. Fiber-rich diets have improved digestive health, a decreased risk of stroke, a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and even a lower risk of various malignancies.
There are two forms of fiber: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, but insoluble fiber does not. Soluble fiber can help to reduce blood glucose and cholesterol levels. Insoluble fiber aids in the digestion of meals, facilitating regularity and effective bowel movements.
It is easy to stick to your other macros while neglecting fiber. If you are doing so and working out but not seeing the results you want, examine your fiber intake.
Sources of Fiber
- Beans and other legumes like lentils
- Seeds
- Berries
- Broccoli
- Whole wheat grains/Pasta
- Fruits
- Potatoes with the skin.
How Many Macros Should You Eat?
There is no set number of macronutrients that a person should consume. It varies from person to person and is determined by your height, weight, degree of exercise, age, and personal goals.
The first step is to figure out how many calories you consume each day. You may utilize online macro-counting calculators to help you determine your magic numbers, and the National Institute of Health provides an excellent calculator. After that, you will need to conduct some macro math by reference the suggested intake percentages referenced earlier.
Once you establish your starting numbers, you will have to fiddle with them to determine the correct ratios for your body. If you see results and weight loss, you will need to keep adjusting your macros based on your body weight since your results are likely to plateau.
What are the Benefits of Counting Macros?
Counting macros can serve to regulate and improve your long-term diet habits. Rather than removing food categories, planning your diet around the macro groups can help you create more space to enjoy your food and life. Maintaining a balanced, less-intense diet has a more considerable influence on long-term health than short-term, very restricted diets.
Another benefit of counting macros is how it contributes to building muscle mass. Tracking your protein macro group in combination with a fitness plan can help you maintain, if not enhance, your muscle mass through more suitable or increased protein consumption.
An underappreciated benefit of counting macros is how it can aid in understanding overall nutritional value. Getting into this habit will force you to track and think about nutritional breakdowns in meals more often than you would otherwise and calculating macros can help you make better everyday food choices.
Learning takes time, just like anything else in life, but it is in learning that can heal the way we relate to food physically, mentally, and emotionally. Our bodies are highly adaptable. That is what makes it so simple to maintain macro tracking overtime. In fact, the more you macro, the less you feel like it involves any real planning.
Macro counting is one of the most versatile techniques available to help you change your lifestyle. It teaches you how to fuel your body correctly, which changes as your life does. There are no fixed rules about what you can and cannot eat. And a life without limitations is a life well-lived.
