Tracking Macros for Weight Loss
Can counting macros help you lose weight? Absolutely.
But it's important to understand that macro tracking is not a quick fix to lose weight. What it is - is a powerful tool that lets you know exactly what you are eating day in and day out, so that you can get a sense of whether your diet is aligned with your goals. And like any weight loss strategy, it has its pros and cons, so let's break them down so you can get a sense of whether this approach is right for you.
What are macros?
To better understand how to count macros, it's important to have a basic understanding of what they are.
“Macros” is short for macronutrients—the three nutrients that provide calories:
protein
carbohydrates
fat
plus the 4th macro no one talks about - alcohol
They’re the nutrients that fuel your body, providing energy for daily activities and helping your body grow, maintain itself, recover from exercise, and so on. Each has its own purpose for your health and you need them to survive!
Why you should track your macros?
Tracking macros is a great way to keep track of the food you eat. It can help you figure out how many calories you’re eating, by keeping track of the grams of protein, fat, and carbs you're consuming on a daily basis. This can help ensure that your diet is well-balanced and healthy.
Tracking macros can also be helpful when trying to lose weight or gain muscle by helping you see how much of each macronutrient you're eating so that you can make adjustments as needed.
4 steps to macro tracking:
Step 1: Set your goals. Is it weight loss? Weight gain? Body recomposition while maintaining your weight?
Step 2: Set your macro targets. This is highly individualised, based on you & your goals, your dieting history, and your daily activity level
Step 3: Track your macros consistently for at least a week or two to establish a baseline of what’s normal for you. You can use an Excel spreadsheet with the calculations already built-in or an app that tracks it for you automatically like MyFitnessPal (this is what I do). I like that the app remembers my usual foods and their macronutrient breakdown as it saves me a lot of time and hassle in tracking.
Step 4: Adjust as needed! If you find that after tracking for several weeks, the scale isn’t moving the way you want it to move, then consider making adjustments. Which macro and by how much to adjust is dependent on your goals and a good nutritionist can help you figure out what is right for you.
How should you feel about macro counting?
There are a lot of reasons to count macros. Some people find it helpful to keep track of their food intake for a short period of time, such as when they want to lose weight. Others choose to do it permanently, as part of their lifestyle.
Whether you choose to count macros for weight loss or not is up to you! However, if you’re thinking about doing so but aren’t sure where to begin (or if it seems too complicated), there are plenty of resources out there that can help guide your way through the process—including coaches and apps!
What to do when you're ready to stop counting macros.
After you've tracked your macros for a while, you will become very attuned to knowing what makes up the food you eat and you may find you no longer need to track. Perhaps you're ready to move on with your life and not feel like a slave to the numbers. But hopefully, you've achieved your body goal and are confident to know what to do to maintain it. Whatever the reason, this is totally okay! You don't have to worry about going off-book when it comes to your nutrition—as long as what you're eating is healthy and balanced, all will be well in the end.
If I had one piece of advice for people who are thinking about stopping their macro program, it would be this: don't worry about it too much.
Just enjoy whatever foods sound good and make sure that it contains a lot of whole foods (full of nutrients). That's really all there is when it comes down to it—if a food doesn't have any ingredients that aren't real things, like fruits or nuts or veggies, then chances are pretty good that it won’t work for weight loss goals!
It’s all about balance…
When you’re setting out to lose weight, it can be hard to know where to start. There are so many diet plans and fad diets out there that it can seem overwhelming. Even just trying to figure out the basics of nutrition is a challenge in itself, since there’s a lot of different information about what we should and shouldn’t eat.
One tool that may be helpful in your weight loss journey is tracking your macros—the carbs, protein, and fats you consume each day—to make sure they balance out. While some people find this process tedious and stressful, others find that it keeps them on track with their goals. Whatever your experience with macro counting might be if you want more information on how it works or how best to use this technique in your own life, drop me a line! It's kinda my jam.
