Counting macros is by far the most accurate way to ensure that you know what your eating and never relapse on weight gain. In fact, counting macros will allow you to transform your body based off whatever goals you have. At first counting macros might seem complicated but after awhile it will become simple and natural.

What are Macros?

While counting calories can cause you to lose weight it isn’t ideal because you don’t know what type of weight you are losing. The last thing we want is to lose is muscle. You need a balance of your macros to ensure certain regular body function can coexist. Counting macros also ensures that you won’t have to starve yourself to lose weight, which I don’t know about you but it a huge plus in my book.

When you finally understand how to count macros you will fine yourself being able to be more flexible with what you can eat. As big bonus you won’t be locked into eating the same thing over and over. You will be able to live life being healthy rather than dieting. No more dieting for a set goal that will just relapse once you stop dieting.

Macro Breakdown

• Fats
• Proteins
• Carbohydrates

The Misunderstood Marco Fats:

Fat the macro gets a really bad reputation and is by far the most misunderstood. Fat doesn’t necessarily make you fat despite the name.

1 fat gram = 9 calories

Since it has such high calories per gram, this also adds to it’s bad reputation. Out of all the macros fat is the most vital.

Fats Are Vital:

Here is a short list of why you need fats:

• Needed for brain function (You process thoughts much better when you eat fat)
• Helps Organs Function
• It absorbs certain vitamins and minerals
• Helps to keeps you warm
• Our hormones production cannot function without fat
• Ensures good hair growth
• Cell growth (keeps you looking younger)

Below are few more detailed articles that go into the science of fats and why they are so vital.

• https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/dietary-fats(1)
• https://www.livescience.com/9109-fats-body.html(2)
• https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/different-fats-nutrition/(3)

Protein The Champion Macro:

Made very popular from Keto and Atkins diets both of which work by the way. Protein is herald for having the ability not make you gain fat. Protein is the main macro to build and repair muscle.

One Gram of Protein = 4 calories

While it has the same calories per gram as carbohydrates it is not equal. It takes our body five times the amount of energy to break down protein. Meaning before this can be stored as fat our body would have need to use five times the energy to get to that point.

Yes you can consume too much protein and still get fat it’s just a lot harder.

Protein Sources and Cost:

The best sources of protein tend to come from meat. This doesn’t work for somebody who doesn’t eat meat. It also isn’t good for our colon to break down an over abundance of meat. Not to mention consuming a lot of meat can get quiet costly. Thankfully we have an affordable healthy alternative protein shakes. I can’t stress enough that you should pick one up.

This is a link to my personal favorite protein powder from the cheapest online store around: http://www.allstarhealth.com/de.aspx?p=27091&cid=AD441C6A%22%3E

Below are some articles that you can read to help you decided on the right protein powder for you.

• https://alphaflexfitness.com/protein-powders-so-many-choices/
• https://alphaflexfitness.com/vegan-vs-whey/

We Manipulate Carbohydrates:

This macro tends to be the real source of most people’s weight gain. Carbohydrates are an energy macro like fat. We discussed earlier fats have many functions outside supplying us with energy. Carbohydrates are a pure energy macro. Carbohydrates break down into glycogen. Think of glycogen as the fuel the causes us to function much like a car needs gasoline.

If you put too much gasoline in a car it will overflow. If you put to much glycogen into our bodies tank to cause overflowing. Our body will store the excess fuel as body fat, for later on should our fuel run low.

Keto diets and Atkins diets work is because they drain our glycogen tanks to run on empty. This forces our body to convert our bodyfat into glycogen.

You actually do not need carbohydrates to live, while they do have some mild benefits such as quick energy and helping with hydration you can live without them. This is the primary macro you should manipulate for weight lose. I will explain in more depth how to do that in my next article.

Knowing The Macros:

Now that you have a basic understand of the three primary macros what do you do with this knowledge?

Step 1: You figure out what your daily calories intake is.

Step 2: Work on balancing out your calories. A lot of times we don’t need to eat less we just need to eat with more balance. It’s not about eating less but eating smarter.

Below I will give you a healthy balanced ratio that you can aim for.
Practice eating a balanced set of macros for two weeks. There is a bit of a learning curve. It might surprise you have off balanced you have been eating.

In my next article we will go in detail on how you can manipulate macros for your goals. We will also discuss the concept of carb cycling.

Home Work Assignment and A Good Balance 30/50/30

• 30% Fat
• 50% Carbohydrates
• 30% Protein

Website Cited:

• (1) https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/dietary-fats(1)
• (2) https://www.livescience.com/9109-fats-body.html(2)
• (3) https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/different-fats-nutrition/(3)