If you’re a gym member and work out a lot, chances are you’ve heard the term “counting macros” thrown around. It’s a term that’s commonly used by people who want to lose weight or gain muscle mass. Counting macronutrients (macros) can help you achieve your goals. It also refers to the practice of tracking the calories and types of foods you eat to reach specific macronutrient and calorie goals. While counting macros is relatively simple, it can be confusing when you’re just getting started. In this article, we’ll dive into how to count macros and provide some helpful tips to get you started.
What are Macros?
To successfully count macros, it's important to understand what they are and why some people need different macros than other people:
Carbohydrates include sugars, starches, and fiber. Most types of carbohydrates are broken down into glucose or blood sugar. These are used by the body as energy for your muscles. Carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram and usually make up the majority of a person’s calorie intake. It is often recommended that you get between 45-65% of your daily calories from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates can be found in grains, starchy vegetables, beans, dairy products, and of course, fruits.
Fats have the most calories of all macronutrients, with 9 calories per gram. Your body needs fat to function properly. It is used for hormone production, nutrient absorption, and body temperature regulation, among other things. Most people eat around 20-35% of their total calories from fats, but many people prefer to follow a higher fat diet. Fats are found in foods such as oils, butter, avocados, nuts, meat, and fatty fish.
Like carbohydrates, proteins provide 4 calories per gram. Proteins are essential for building muscle tissue. It is recommended that proteins make up 10-35% of your total calorie intake. Of course, protein recommendations vary depending on your body type, age, health, and goals you are trying to achieve. Examples of protein-rich foods include eggs, poultry, fish, tofu, and lentils.
Calculate your calories and macros
To calculate your total calorie needs, you need to determine your total resting energy expenditure (REE) and nonresting energy expenditure (NREE). REE refers to the number of calories a person burns at rest, while NREE indicates the number of calories burned during activity and digestion. You can use the Mifflin-St. Jeor formula for this:
- Men: calories/day = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) + 5 years.
- Women: calories/day = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) – 161
Then multiply your result by a given activity factor. This is one of the following:
- Rest: x 1.2 (limited exercise)
- Light active: x 1.375 (light exercise less than three days per week)
- Moderately active: x 1.55 (moderate exercise most days of the week)
- Very active: x 1.725 (hard training every day)
- Extra active: x 1.9 (strenuous exercise two or more times per day)
After determining how many calories you should eat per day, the next step is to look at what macronutrient ratio works best for your body. Most people are wise to follow the following ratios:
- Carbohydrates: 45-65% of total calories
- Fats: 20-35% of total calories.
- Protein: 10-35% of total calories:
Please note that these recommendations may not meet your specific needs. Your ratio can be fine-tuned to meet specific goals. For example, someone who wants to have better control over their blood sugar and lose body fat may benefit from a diet of 35% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 35% protein. Someone who wants to follow a ketogenic diet needs much more fat and fewer carbohydrates, while an endurance athlete needs more carbohydrates. The best thing to do is to try it out for yourself. Test how your body responds to a certain diet and keep track of everything in a handy app, for example. This way you can see at a glance how many macros you have already consumed and how many you still need.
