You may have heard of the term “macro” before in reference to food and nutrients. But what is a macro? And why is it important? And should you count them?
What is a macro?
First of all, macros is short for macronutrients, which are molecules that our bodies use to create energy – primarily through fat, protein, and carbs. Macros are found in all foods in varying amounts, and are measured in grams on nutrition labels. Fat provides 9 calories per gram. Protein and Carbohydrates each provide 4 calories per gram.
Why are macros important?
Weight loss and muscle mass are a bit more complicated than simply calories in versus calories out (how much you eat versus how much you burn through exercise.) You have to eat the RIGHT calories in order to achieve your performance and body composition goals. You can’t out-exercise poor nutrient intake.
Whether your goal is to lose, maintain, or gain weight, you might need to rely on counting macros to make sure you are eating correctly and providing your body with all of the calories and nutrients it needs to do all of the things you want it to do. You also want to make sure you are losing body fat and not muscle!
Should you count your macros?
Adequate protein intake will help build muscle (or at least prevent muscle loss if you are in a calorie deficit.) Protein controls appetite and staves off hunger better than fats or carbs as it causes you to feel full longer. It also requires more energy than other macros for your body to digest, burning more calories.
Fat is an essential nutrient that our bodies require to live. WE NEED FAT. Fat assists in vitamin absorption, hormone regulation, brain function, and more.
Carbs are your bodies main source of fuel, and with enough carb intake, your body won’t use protein for fuel (so the protein can build muscle mass instead) and carbs will help with the breakdown of fat. We need ALL of these things for our body to function properly and we need them all in the right amounts for what we are asking our bodies to do. The percentages of calories from carbs, protein, and fat may vary from person to person depending on goals.
Having control of your food intake is extremely important for reaching any kind of fitness goal. Think about eating 200 calories of broccoli vs 200 calories from a candy bar. Both are 200 calories, but you will feel more full, have more nutrients, and avoid a giant sugar crash by eating those calories from a better source.
Tracking your macros can provide you with a better idea of what your food intake should be. It will also provide you with a more balanced diet. Tracking what you are eating will help to adjust your food intake according to your fitness goals. If you want to maximize your eating and exercise efforts, don’t just count calories, track your macros as well!