Counting Macros for Beginners and How to Lose or Gain Weight

Counting macros can be easy, even for beginners. Counting macros can also help you to achieve weight loss goals or even to promote and sustain muscle growth. It is a powerful tool to help manage what you eat so that you know the exact amounts of macronutrients that your body needs for a specific goal.

First of all, what are macros? The three macros (short for macronutrients) that the body needs in large numbers are protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Each of these macronutrients provides energy in the form of calories or kcals. In addition to energy, these nutrients have other specific roles in helping your body function properly.

Proteins contain 4 kcals per 1 gram

Fats contain 9 kcals per 1 gram

Carbohydrates contain 4 kcals per 1 gram

Protein

Protein foods are made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of the body. Proteins play a key role in building and maintaining muscle mass and providing energy for our cells and brain. Young children need approximately 1-1.5 grams of protein per kg of body weight. Average adults need about 0.8-0.95 grams per kg of body weight. Some common sources of protein include:

• Chicken
• Beef
• Fish
• Eggs
• Beans
• Milk

Fats

Fats are the most calorie dense macronutrient at 9 calories per gram. Fats get a bad reputation because most people think that fats make you fat. Your body should have an appropriate amount of healthy fats to do things like regulate hormone production and allow for proper absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). Granted if you eat too much fat, your calorie intake can spike faster because each gram accounts for about double of what you would get out of protein and carbohydrates. You want to take in a variety of fats that include monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and some saturated fats as well. Common sources of fats include:

• Butter
• Avocado
• Olive Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Nuts/Seeds

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred energy source. In most diets, carbs make up the majority of the calories consumed. The body takes simple or complex carbs and breaks them down into glucose which is either used right away or stored in muscle or fat for future use. The problem that most people run into with carbs, is that they over eat processed and refined carbohydrates which release sugar into the bloodstream very quickly leading to more cravings, low energy levels, cravings, weight gain, and brain fog. Carbs like vegetables, ancient grains, whole fruit, and others digest slower and come without all of the bad side effects. Good carb sources include:

• Fruit
• Starchy Root Vegetables
• Whole Grains

Counting Macros

So now that you know what “macros” are and where they come from, how do you count them? And how do you use that information to gain or lose weight?

Tracking Your Food

First and foremost, you have to have an idea of what you are currently taking in. Download a food and meal tracking app such as My Fitness Pal. This app makes it really easy to track your food. Simply scan the barcode on the back of the items that you are consuming and make sure you put in the right amount of servings you are eating. At the end of the day, you will have a total amount of protein, fat, and carbs that you consumed. Along with that, you have your calorie count. Do this for a full week so that you can get an average of what you normally eat.

Basal Metabolic Rate

Up next is calculating your BMR. Use this BMR Calculator to get your estimated number. This number is an estimate for the amount of energy expended while at rest in a neutrally temperate environment, and in a post-absorptive state (meaning that the digestive system is inactive, which requires about 12 hours of fasting). So basically, this is how many calories your body would need if you didn’t do anything all day and just lied there. It also gives you a guide based on your activity level on how many calories you need to maintain a specific weight.

Plugging In The Numbers

An average person who is trying to lose weight should aim to shoot for a ratio of about 30% carbs, 20% fat, and 50% protein that come from your daily calorie intake. If you are looking to build more muscle along the way, your ratio should be focused more around eating as much protein in grams as you want your goal body weight to be (175g protein for 175lb bodybuilder).

Let’s say my BMR is about 1700 cal/day and when I add in my activity level and exercise that I do regularly, my recommended is about 3000 cal/day. Theoretically, if I ate 3000 calories each day, my weight would stay the same.

Look back now at your averages when you tracked your food. If I ate over 3000 calories/day, I would gain weight. If I ate under 3000 calories/day I would lose weight.

To make it simple, 3,500 calories= about 1lb of fat. In general, if you cut about 500 to 1,000 calories a day from your typical diet, you’d lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week.

Just remember that BMR number, if your calorie count consistently stays below that number, your body will not be able to function at an optimal level.

Final Thoughts

This advice is very baseline and will work for most people. There are a lot of different circumstances that change these formulations, it’s best to consult someone who has knowledge in nutrition, exercise, body mechanics, and metabolic function.

Your numbers will change if you lose weight, gain weight, start more exercise, get pregnant and more! Keep good track of things. Myfitnesspal has settings that help you stay on track if you upload your weight.

Yours in optimal health,

Dr. Glenn Ezell