How To Count Your Macros For Weight Loss

So you might’ve heard many fitness influencers on Instagram saying they’ve gotten incredible results by counting their macros, or following the IIFYM (if it fits your macros plan). Macro counting, versus calorie counting, is a much better approach as far as tracking because it takes into consideration the nutrient quality of the food you eat as opposed to a simple number attached to a food item.

It can take some getting used to if you’re not familiar with looking at the other numbers on ingredient labels besides the calorie number, but after reading this blog post, I hope it helps you become more aware of what’s actually in your food so that you can make healthier decisions throughout the day.

Now, before we get into counting macronutrients, let’s first define what they are.

Macronutrients are the building blocks of our food. Our food is composed of either of the three macronutrients, carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

These 3 macros have a different function in the body, and all 3 are VITAL for a healthy body and balanced diet.

Carbohydrates are the body’s #1 source of energy. In the fitness scope, it gives us energy to perform in the gym and allows our glycogen levels to return back to normal after an intense workout.

Great carbohydrates include:

• Steel cut oats
• Brown rice cakes
• Sweet potatoes
• Fruit
• Starchy vegetables
• Brown or wild rice

Protein helps us restore and synthesize muscle growth. Having protein in every meal keeps us satiated and blood levels steady. Protein post-workout is essential to repair broken down muscle and rebuild new muscle tissue.

Great protein sources include:

• Eggs
• Protein powder
• Chicken
• Beef
• Fish
• Greek yogurt
• Beans
• Tofu, tempeh

Lastly, fats give us vital nutrients for brain and body function. This is what keeps us full throughout the day and aids in weight loss. (Eating healthy fats does NOT make us fat!)

Healthy fats include:

• Avocadoes
• Chia seeds
• Nuts and seeds
• Ghee or unsalted grassfed butter
• MCT or coconut oil
• Dark chocolate

It’s important to understand what foods contain which macronutrients, because all too often, we eat WAY too many carbohydrates and fat, and barely get our protein up. Becoming more aware of what macros you’re eating on a daily basis is the first step.

Now you might be asking yourself: should I be counting my macros?

The answer is up to you. If you’re a Type A person, counting your macros is a great way to ensure that you’re eating a healthy balanced diet and following a system that can potentially help you lose weight as long as you’re at a calorie deficit.

If tracking and logging your food every day takes the fun out of life and brings you more stress than joy, then maybe not.

Whatever you decide to choose after reading this blog post is up to you. My goal is to help you understand these major points:

• Every macronutrient is VITAL for your health. Never completely take out macronutrients out of your diet (yes, you can play around with your ratios like keto...but that’s for another blog post)
• Start becoming more aware which foods contain what macronutrients
• Try to balance every meal with the 3 macronutrients: carbs, protein, and fat

The first step in counting your macros based on your goals is to first know your target calorie goal.

If you don’t know how many calories you’re eating, go to this blog post where I walk you through how to figure out your target calorie goal.

Once you’ve done that, come back to this blog post and continue following along.

Now that we know our Target Calorie Goal, we can now figure out our Macronutrient Split, or how much percentage of carbs, proteins, and fats will make up our total caloric needs for the day.

I’ve given you 3 different options for the most common goals you might have: a Weight Loss Split, a Bodybuilding Split, or a Performance-Based Split. Your macro split can change overtime, but this is a great starting point.