“Tracking macros” (macronutrients) has become a popular weight loss and fitness trend and it can seem complicated at first – it just means keeping an eye on your overall intake of protein, carbs and fats each day. I don’t think it’s necessary for everyone to track their macros religiously, but it’s a good idea to become familiar with how your diet is made up.
My general advice will always be ‘eat a balanced diet which includes food from all macro and micro nutrient groups, focus on eating more protein and vegetables and reduce your consumption of processed foods’ – if you stick with that, you should achieve a healthy balance overall.
For the average person there’s no need to meticulously calculate macros or cut out whole food groups. If you have a specific goal (i.e. body builder) then of course you would need to pay more attention to this and amend your diet according to your goals, but for general health, wellbeing and fat loss, it’s simply about creating a calorie deficit whilst still consuming all the main food groups in a balanced way.
There is a rule of thumb for macro-nutrient consumption, so if you want to know what this is and are interested in doing this yourself, please read on for a simple beginner’s guide to understanding macros:
First, you can use an online calculator to determine your target macros in grams based on your age, gender, activity level and goals. Calculators will give you results based on:
- Protein: you should aim to consume 1-1.2g per pound of bodyweight for muscle recovery and satiety.
- Carbs: 3-5g per pound of bodyweight. Go towards the lower end if trying to lose weight. Focus on complex, high fibre options.
- Fat: 20-30% of total calories. Prioritise healthy unsaturated fats.
Next, you would need to get familiar with how many grams of each macro common foods contain. Download a tracking app or refer to nutrition labels. With practice, you’ll quickly learn which foods are protein, carb or fat dominant. The free version of My Fitness Pal breaks this down for you on a total daily consumption level.
When building meals and snacks, aim to get macros from whole, minimally processed sources. For protein you can eat meats, dairy, eggs, fish and plant proteins like beans, lentils and tofu. Choose complex carbs like whole grains, starchy veggies, beans and fruit. Healthy fats include avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil, coconut and fatty fish like salmon.
Finally, if you’re interested in your macros and understanding more, maybe think about tracking your food intake (including grams of protein, carbs and fat) just for a few days to give you an idea. You may find you need to adjust amounts as needed to align with your target macros. Don’t stress over hitting numbers perfectly each day, just try to maintain overall balance based on your goals. Like food tracking generally, the more you do it, the easier it will become and the more you’ll understand and recognise the nutrient content of the foods you’re eating, but I don’t want you to think this is something you must do.
Tracking macros is simply an additional tool you can use if you have an interest in understanding more about the topic. Tracking macros is not necessary for fat loss, it can be helpful, but it can also lead to over-complication and overwhlem which I want to avoid at all costs!
