Like calories, macros paint an incomplete picture of diet quality. People who swear by counting macros for weight loss will tell you that macros give you a better picture of diet quality - but that’s only partly true. ![]() Food quality matters, so you want to get those calories from minimally-processed foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein. If you have these types of tendencies, macro counting probably isn’t for you.“Macros” is a cute nickname for the macronutrients - carbohydrates, fat, and protein - that provide you with the calories you need each day.Ĭalories, of course, play a starring role in weight loss - but there’s more to weight loss than just slashing calories. Sometimes knowing too much can be a bad thing, leading to obsessive calorie counting, weighing, and disordered eating. Unfortunately, macro tracking can turn into obsessive and restrictive behavior, and this is a no-go zone for us. You feel more satiated and understanding of your hunger cues, which can come in handy down the road when not tracking. There’s a lot of satisfaction with being in control of your food intake and knowing that when you hit your numbers, you’re taking another step closer to your goals. Macro tracking can help you make better, more conscious choices about the food that you’re putting in your body. Sure, anything can go into the macros, but that doesn’t mean pummeling Oreos because they fit your carb category is a good, or very healthful, way of going about things. Often with macro tracking people can get so focused on the macronutrient itself (protein, carb, fat) that they forget about the quality of the food and the micronutrients that make it nutritious. You’ll get good at reading nutrition labels, finding foods you enjoy, and reducing the intake of foods that you don’t. You might think you eat a high protein, low-fat diet, however, after tracking, you might find just the opposite. Tracking macros helps you better understand how specific foods make you feel and what areas you’re over or under in. If you’re not willing to stop and think about what you’re eating, how much you’re eating, and log it, macros probably aren’t the best fit for you. Without doing this, you might mindlessly eat and be on the ‘mental hamster wheel’ of not understanding why you’re not making progress CON: Added Stressorįor people who eat a lot of different things, who don’t plan their meals or their snacks, and who don’t prioritize their time to log, macros and macro tracking can be an added stressor. ![]() This can be useful in understanding exactly how much and of what you eat on a daily basis so that you can make the necessary adjustments to work towards your goals. While tracking macros ins’t for all, we’ve broken down the pros and cons for you to see for yourself if it might be a good fit and something worthwhile to try. Counting calories brings attention and focus to how much you’re eating, whereas macros bring attention to how much and of what you’re eating. Attention to detail, reading nutrition labels, and accurately measuring your food is important with tracking macros.Ĭalories on the other hand are a great introduction to weight loss and weight gain. Instead of focusing on the calories, you’re going to focus on the macros that make up those calories. Macro tracking is designed to help optimize body weight and composition. ![]() An averagely active individual looking to lose weight might have a more balanced macronutrient ratio of protein, carbs, and fat. For example, an athlete may have followed a high carb, high protein macro split with low fat to optimize muscle growth and reduce body fat. By changing the ratio of macros, you can change your body composition. Macro tracking is simply keeping a count of all the protein, carbs, and fat that you eat on a daily basis to achieve a health or aesthetic goal. For example, both carbohydrates and protein have 4 calories per 1 gram and fat has 9 calories per gram. Macronutrients are what makeup calorie totals. Macro is short for macronutrients which are protein, carbs, and fat. If you’ve come to this article, you’re probably wondering if macro tracking is for you, and how to decide if it is or isn’t, right? Let’s dig into the pros and cons of macro tracking so that you can make a decision for yourself. For many people, macro tracking can be the key to the door of their goals.
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