Should We All Be Tracking Our Macros?

While back in the day calorie counting was all the rage, nowadays fitness types are more interested in tracking their macros. Once reserved for bodybuilders, the number-crunching practice has made its way into the mainstream over the past few years and promises benefits from building muscle to boosting energy for workouts – but what does it actually involve? And should we all be doing it? 

A Nutritionist’s Guide To Tracking Macronutrients

What Are Macros?

The term macros is short for macronutrients, which describes the three primary nutrient groups your body needs to function: carbohydrates, protein and fat. ‘These nutrients provide energy (calories), but they also impact many other structures and functions in the body, from building and maintaining muscle, skin, bone to hormone production, immune function and many other cellular functions,’ explains nutritionist Kim Pearson. ‘While calories tell us how much energy a food provides, macros tell us where those calories come from. Two meals may contain the same number of calories, but if one is rich in protein and the other is predominantly refined carbohydrate, the effects on hunger, energy levels and fat storage will be very different.’

What’s The Role Of Each Of The Macronutrients?

Protein

‘Protein is essential for maintaining and repairing muscle, supporting immune function and producing enzymes and hormones. It is also the most satisfying macronutrient, meaning it helps you feel full for longer. This makes it particularly important for achieving and maintaining a healthy body fat percentage and preserving lean body mass as we age.’

Sources: Meat, fish, eggs, lentils, chickpeas, beans

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Carbohydrates

‘Carbohydrates provide energy, however the quality of carbohydrates varies significantly. Whole food sources such as vegetables, legumes and whole grains provide fibre and nutrients, while refined carbohydrates such as white bread, sugary cereals and ultra processed foods are rapidly absorbed and can contribute to blood sugar fluctuations and increased hunger. The body can also produce energy from protein and fat, meaning that carbohydrates are not essential, unlike the other two macronutrients.’

Sources: Potatoes, grains, pasta, bread, whole fruits and vegetables, oats

Fat

‘Fat is vital for hormone production, brain health (our brain is made up of around 60 percent fat) and the absorption of fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E and K. It also plays a role in satiety and helps stabilise blood sugar levels. Contrary to outdated advice, healthy fats from foods such as olive oil, nuts, seeds and oily fish are highly beneficial and should be included regularly.’

Sources: Olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, fatty fish

What Are The Benefits Of Tracking Them?

Tracking macros can be helpful for those who have never paid much attention to the composition of their meals, says Pearson – as well as highlighting common imbalances, like consuming too little protein. Although it may feel like a lot of hassle, proponents often find macro-tracking can actually allow them to eat more of what they like – and as there’s no requirement to cut out food groups, it’s widely viewed as a safe and effective way to stay on top of your nutrition.

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When used correctly, it can also be a weight loss tool. ‘Weight loss is influenced not just by calorie intake, but where those calories are coming from,’ explains Pearson. ‘Diets higher in protein, and lower in refined carbohydrates lead to enhanced satiety, reduced cravings and support better blood sugar regulation, all of which help facilitate weight loss.’ Saying that, she notes that counting macros is not essential for weight loss – often, people can achieve the results they’re after by focusing on whole foods, and structuring their meals around protein, healthy fats and fibre-rich vegetables.

What Are The Drawbacks?

Just like calorie counting, macro tracking can be addictive and some people may feel it promotes rigid eating. For this reason, it may not be suitable for people with eating disorders or a tricky relationship with food. Others argue it removes the intuitive side of eating, and can impact your social life as going out for meals becomes trickier. It also involves weighing all your food, which is clearly not for everyone.

While macro counting can be a ‘useful educational tool’, Pearson maintains that it isn’t necessarily something everyone needs to do long term. ‘My goal with clients is to help them understand how to build balanced meals based on optimal portion sizes and listening to their appetite and satiety signals, rather than relying on calculating calories or macros indefinitely. For many people, simply structuring meals around a good source of protein, moderate amounts of healthy fats and plenty of fibre rich vegetables is enough to improve metabolic health and support weight management without formal tracking.’

How To Track Macros

Keen to give it a try and not sure where to start? There are plenty of apps to help, such as MyFitnessPal and Cronometer, where you can log your food and see the nutritional breakdown. These also have macro calculators which give you personalised targets based on factors like age, weight, sex and activity level – with options to tailor for individual goals, such as muscle gain or maintenance. Another option is to book an appointment with a nutritionist, who can help set specific goals.

If you are looking to lose weight, Pearson recommends a macro split of around 25 percent protein, 25 percent carbohydrates and 50 percent fat. ‘This might sound like a lot of fat, but fat contains more than double the calories per gram compared with protein and carbohydrates, so this does not equate to a large volume of fat on your plate.’

She recommends starting by identifying your ideal protein intake. ‘Optimal protein intake is based on grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. This should be based on your ideal body weight rather than your current weight if you are looking to reduce body fat. Optimal protein intake typically ranges from 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight, depending on your activity level.’

‘If you are inactive, defined as fewer than 5000 steps per day and no regular structured exercise, aim for around 1.2 to 1.3 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. If you are moderately active, defined as around 6000 to 9000 steps per day and or two to three structured workouts per week lasting at least 45 minutes, aim for around 1.4 grams per kilogram per day.

‘If you are very active, defined as over 9000 steps per day and or four or more structured workouts per week lasting at least 45 minutes, aim for 1.5 to 1.6 grams per kilogram per day.

‘So, for example, if your ideal weight is 60 kilograms and you are moderately active, multiply 60 by 1.4. This gives a target of 84 grams of protein per day. As each gram of protein provides four calories, this equates to 336 calories from protein.

‘You would then aim for a similar amount of carbohydrates, which is also 84 grams. At four calories per gram, this provides another 336 calories from carbohydrates. As the remaining 50 percent of calories are coming from fat, this equates to 672 calories from fat. As fat contains nine calories per gram, this is approximately 75 grams of fat per day.’ Pearson suggests aiming to split this evenly across your meals, and paying attention to how satisfied you feel after meals to fine tune your intake.

Ultimately, though, Pearson concludes consistency is more important than precision. ‘Even becoming broadly aware of whether your meals contain an optimal amount of protein, healthy fats and fibre (which is a non digestible carbohydrate, therefore not considered a macro, yet still highly beneficial!) can make a noticeable difference to health and energy levels.’

Kim Pearson is a qualified nutritionist with over 15 years of experience, specialising in weight loss, metabolic health and healthy ageing. Find out more at kim-pearson.com.