Achieving your fitness goals often extends beyond the realm of regular exercise. It involves a critical understanding of nutrition. One efficient method for improving health, gaining muscle, losing weight, or maintaining your current physique is counting your calories andย macronutrients or ‘macros.’ However, it’s crucial not only to focus on the quantity of macros but also their quality.
The benefits of counting macros
Counting macros refers to tracking the amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. These are the three primary macronutrients that you consume daily. Getting a read on how much of each you’re eating is beneficial because it offers a clear picture of your nutritional intake. Helping you understand the caloric intake necessary to achieve your fitness goals. But it’s about more than just changing body composition and achieving aesthetic goals, its about getting a clear picture of how the foods you eat are likely to impact you’re overall health, energy levels, and performance.
When you shouldn’t count macros (Contraindications)
While counting macros can be advantageous, it’s not suitable for everyone. Those with a history of eating disorders might find counting triggering as it could promote obsessive or triggering behaviour around food. Additionally, those under certain medical conditions or undergoing specific treatments may have dietary needs not covered by macro counting. For this reason, it’s always good practice to consult a healthcare professional before starting a new diet or nutrition plan.
The importance of quality macros
Though counting macros is useful, it’s also crucial to pay attention to the quality of the food you eat. Two foods may have the same calorie content but different nutritional values. For instance, while both a chocolate bar and a handful of nuts may provide the same amount of calories, the may be considered healthier because it offers heart-healthy fats, protein, and fibre, unlike the former which could be high in sugars and unhealthy fats.
A diet rich in whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats is beneficial for overall health. These foods provide the necessary vitamins, minerals, and fibre that our bodies need for optimal function. This highlights how crucial it is to consider the quality of the food you eat rather than just the numbers, which could unfortunately be overlooked with the traditional IIFYM approach.
Importance of adequate intake of macronutrients
- Protein: Protein helps to repair and build tissues and is crucial for bone, muscle, cartilage, skin, and blood health. A good protein intake is crucial, particularly for those engaging in high-intensity workouts as it aids muscle recovery and growth. High-quality protein is found in eggs, meat, fish, and dairy.
- Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the body’s main energy source. Complex carbohydrates in whole grains, legumes, and vegetables provide sustained energy and stay satiated longer.
- Fats: Healthy fats play a vital role in nutrient absorption, hormone production, and overall brain function. The best sources of healthy fats are nuts and seeds, avocado, olives, olive oil, fatty fish & eggs.
- Fibre: Fibre, although not a macronutrient, is essential for digestive health and helps keep you satiated, aiding in weight management.
Calculating BMR & TDEE
BMR, or Basal Metabolic Rate, is the number of calories your body needs to perform basic bodily functions at rest. These include breathing, circulating blood, controlling body temperature, cell growth, brain and nerve function, and contraction of muscles. BMR is influenced by several factors, including age, sex, weight, and muscle mass. It essentially tells you the number of calories your body needs to survive if you were to stay in bed all day.
TDEE, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure, takes your BMR and factors in your physical activity level to provide a more accurate estimation of how many calories you burn in a day. This number is vital because it tells you how many calories you need to consume to maintain your current weight. Once you have that number you have a predictive factor as far as how to eat to influence your fitness training goals.
The Harris-Benedict Equation is a well-established method to calculate BMR and subsequently account for activity levels. The formula differs slightly for men and women, and can be calculated using either metric or imperial measures:
Metric
- Men: BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 * weight in kg) + (4.799 * height in cm) – (5.677 * age in years)
- Women: BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 * weight in kg) + (3.098 * height in cm) – (4.330 * age in years)
Imperial
- Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 * weight in lbs) + (12.7 * height in inches) – (6.8 * age in years)
- Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 * weight in lbs) + (4.7 * height in inches) – (4.7 * age in years)
After calculating your BMR, multiply it by your activity level to find your TDEE:
- Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR * 1.2
- Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): BMR * 1.375
- Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): BMR * 1.55
- Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): BMR * 1.725
- Extra active (very hard exercise/physical job & exercise 2x/day): BMR * 1.9
Example Calculation:
Let’s take the example of John, a 25-year-old man who is 5ft 10in tall, weighs 160 lbs (about 73 kg), and has a moderately active lifestyle.
Using the imperial formula, John’s BMR would be calculated as:
BMR = 66 + (6.23 * 160) + (12.7 * 70) – (6.8 * 25) = 1,725.9 calories/day
Given John’s moderately active lifestyle, his TDEE is:
TDEE = BMR * Activity Factor = 1,725.9 * 1.55 = 2,675.1 calories/day
This tells us that John needs approximately 2,675 calories per day to maintain his current weight given his current activity levels.
Tailoring your macronutrient intake to your fitness goals
Once you’ve calculated your BMR and TDEE, adjust your caloric intake according to your fitness goals.
- Weight Loss: If your goal is to lose weight sustainably, aim for a caloric deficit of 10-30%. However, it’s healthier to aim for a more modest deficit, around 10-20%, whilst simultaneously increasing physical activity instead of drastically reducing your calorie intake.
- Weight Maintenance: To maintain your current weight, aim to consume a number of calories equal to your TDEE.
- Weight Gain: To gain weight, create a caloric surplus by adding 10-20% to your TDEE.
In terms of macronutrient split, a standard distribution for weight loss, weight maintenance or weight gain is will be might be 30% protein, 40% carbohydrates, and 30% fats. However, this can vary based on individual needs and goals.
- Body Recomposition. If your goal is body composition which is to gain muscle while losing fat your approach will depend on your activity level. On training days, aim for a 10% caloric deficit with a macronutrient split of 30% protein, 40% carbs, and 30% fat. On resting or light activity days, aim for a 20% caloric deficit with a 30% protein, 30% carbs, and 40% fat split.
How to track your macros
Keeping track of your macronutrient intake can be as simple as taking notes on a piece of paper. Or as sophisticated as using meal-tracking apps like MyFitnessPal which will allow you to set goals, scan food barcodes and track everything in one place. You can even share your food logs with your fitness trainer for accountability as the app syncs up with many of the top fitness coaching apps. This will simplify the process and provide you with a clearer, more streamlined overview of your dietary habits.
Having this data at your fingertips not only saves time but also ensures more accurate and effective tracking towards meeting your specific fitness goals. Remember, consistency is key when tracking macros, so make it a daily habit for the best results.