Before going into the discussion of calories vs macronutrients, you need to understand what both are. Calories are a measure of energy or heat, whose definition has changed over the years. You don’t need to know the exact definition to understand that if you eat too many calories, you’ll gain weight and to lose weight you have to eat less. Macronutrients are carbohydrates, protein, and fat, which are the building blocks for your body and all food you consume.
When you focus on macros, you’re focusing on eating healthy and the quality of the food.
It’s different with calories, that only focuses on the amount you eat based on the energy they contain. Counting just calories doesn’t mean you’ll eat your healthiest. An order of large fries from McDonalds has 510 calories, but you wouldn’t be healthy if you ate three orders of fries on a 1500 calorie diet, just as you wouldn’t be healthy eating 21 double stuffed Oreos as your diet, which is almost 1500 calories. Instead, focusing on the ratio of macronutrients wouldn’t allow you to overeat sugary treats that are primarily carbs or go for only greasy snacks.
The Food and Nutrition Board of Institutes of Medicine—IOM—ratios may differ from your goal.
The IOM suggests that the ratios should be approximately 45 to 65 percent of your calories should come from carbs, with 20 to 35 percent from fat and 10 to 35 percent from protein. As you can tell, there’s quite a range. That’s because modifying the amount of each macros will result in achieving different goals.
The more information you have, the better your results.
You still have to know the calorie count when you track macros, but also need to know the amount of each macronutrient. If you want to lose weight, increasing your protein intake can help you feel full faster and aid you in reaching your goal. For building muscles, you need a balance that’s 50% carbs, 20% fat and 30 % protein. You’ll have the energy you need for a tough workout.
- If the process sounds difficult, it is far more difficult than just counting calories, but gets better results. It is made easier when you use our app that has everything, including menus designed to meet your needs.
- When you eat makes a difference, especially if you’re trying to build muscle. A quick carb snack within an hour after a workout can help your body use the protein for building muscle and get the best results.
- Eating healthy often follows the macronutrient diet. If you have plenty of fruits and vegetables each meal with a healthy source of protein and fat, most of the time you fall within the recommended allowances.
- Counting macros doesn’t mean you’ll never get to eat any sugary treats. You can, but just not as much and not as often.
For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training