Many people struggle with weight loss and especially fat loss.
What if I told you there wasn’t a secret way to get abs and you could achieve them too?
You may have heard the famous phrase, “Abs are made in the kitchen.”
But the question begs, “Are you eating the right macros for cutting?”
What Are Macros?
Macros are short for macronutrients.
Macronutrients are broken down into 3 categories that you consume the most.
These include proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
When a person says they are counting macros, they are referring to these 3 categories.
This doesn’t mean that calories aren’t counted. Each gram of protein, carb, and fat comes from calories.
Counting Calories VS Counting Macros
We have learned that macros come from calories, but how do they differ?
Calorie counting can be described as calories in and calories out.
The main principle behind this theory is you don’t eat more calories than you burn.
If you consume less than what you burn, you’ll lose weight.
You determine the number of calories you want to eat in a day. You choose from either an online calculator or something you decided on your own.
It’s recommended if you’re new to this method to use a calculator to make sure you aren’t undereating.
For example, you may need 1,800 calories a day to maintain your weight. Consuming a deficit of 400 calories a day may equal a loss of over 2lbs a week!
Now, this figure will change with everyone.
Make sure to use a tracker app to ensure you aren’t eating too much of a deficit and starving yourself.
Another reason a tracker is useful is sometimes you underestimate just how much you’re eating.
Eyeballing portion sizes work for professionals but for the average person, they often get it wrong.
Macros take the 3 main categories and rely on them for figures instead of counting calories.
The theory behind this method is that certain foods may have the same number of calories but your body processes them differently.
For example, 500 calories of broccoli aren’t treated the same as 500 calories of ice cream. Even though they both are providing 500 calories of energy, their metabolic breakdown is different.
Proteins and fiber are foods that keep you fuller longer, leading you to eat less.
Foods that have high glycemic indexes, like cookies or white bread, raise blood sugars in the body.
This means you’ll get a high burst of energy for a short time but ultimately end up “crashing” after.
This often leads to overeating and weight gain.
Whole grains carbs are metabolized more slowly. They usually have fiber, so they’re slowly digested, unlike processed grains.
Bulking While Cutting
What if you are wanting to lose body fat without sacrificing muscle mass?
This method is most popular with athletes and bodybuilders. There are ways to maintain your muscles while losing body fat.
Some follow a more flexible way of cutting, others are more rigid.
The If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) method gives you more freedom to enjoy unhealthy food here and there.
However, it has to make your macro split.
This doesn’t mean you can gorge daily on pizza and junk.
You still have to maintain a healthy balance of wholesome foods.
Many people prefer this method because they claim it reduces cravings and allows you to still eat some of your favorites.
The other method involves calculating your macros for cutting and eating strictly healthy.
There isn’t a wrong way or right way.
However, studies show that people have better success sticking with a more flexible diet than a more restrictive one.
It depends on your willpower, discipline, and experience with diets.
Only you know if you can cold turkey the junk food or if you need some time to phase it out.
Some calculators even include a more flexible version of your new macros by easing you into it for the first 3 days to a week.
Cutting isn’t all about the diet.
Don’t forget to add weight training along with cardio.
Ladies, you too!
It’s a common misconception that you’ll get a male bodybuilder’s look if you lift weights or do any type of strength training.
In fact, many studies suggest combining both for optimal fat and weight loss.
What Should My Macros Be?
In the past, the formula used to determine your macros was 45% protein, 30% carbs, and 25% fat.
However, recent studies have shown a new formula of 50% carbs, 35% protein, and 15% fat is more effective for decreasing body fat.
The study had participants on a 4-week exercise program.
They found that those who followed the 5:3.5:1.5 ratio for carbs, protein, and fats not only lost over 10lbs but gained 2lbs of muscle.
The 2nd group only lost weight and didn’t gain any muscle.
Most people still use and prefer the original formula. The choice is yours for which you want to go with.
How to Calculate Macros?
How do I calculate what I learned? There are a few ways to calculate your daily macros.
Online Calculator
One way, and the easiest, is by using an online calculator.
Online calculators account for several factors.
They include your age, fitness level, and gender.
This method is mostly used for those that are starting out or for those that want a more precise measurement.
Calories
Another way to count macros involves your caloric intake.
The first step to this method is to know how many calories in a day you’d need to eat to maintain your weight.
There are a few ways to calculate this, but most use an online calculator because of the ease and it’s quicker than doing math.
Once you have an idea of how many calories you’d need to maintain your weight, you can begin the process of figuring out your macros for cutting.
It can seem overwhelming to track your food intake but over time it becomes routine.
There are plenty of apps available to help with calorie counting. One of the most popular apps MyFitnessPal will even let you create your recipes if they don’t have it listed.
The great thing about this app and others is that they track your macros for cutting along with your calories. You can get an estimate of how you eat daily.
For Math Buffs
The last method is by doing math.
I find it the most difficult method only because it involves you manually doing the work versus plugging it into an online calculator.
If you’re a math buff or want to see how the calculator comes up with your macros, this is the route you want to take.
Step #1 – Determine Caloric Need
First, you’ll start by calculating the calories your body needs in a day.
You take your bodyweight and multiply it by the numbers 11 to 14. Choose the corresponding numbers based on your lifestyle and type of job you work.
- If you have a sedentary job and lifestyle, multiply by 11.
- Use 12 if you are moderately active in fitness at least 2-3 times per week but have a sedentary job.
- Multiply by 13 if you have an active job and train at least 2-3 times per week. Use 13 if you are sedentary at work but train intensely, like weight training or aerobics at least 4-6 times per week.
- Multiply by 14 if you are active at work and train intensely or are an athlete.
Step #2 – Determine Protein Consumption
Next, you’ll determine your protein intake. This is the easiest step; you take your weight and that’s how much you should consume.
For example, if you weigh 150lbs then your protein intake would be 150 grams per day.
Step #3 – Counting Your Fat Intake
Now you’ll determine your fat intake. Generally, you want somewhere between 0.3 and 0.6 grams of fat per pound of weight.
Fat calculations tend to be personal preference. Most decide based on their diet. If you’re a diehard bacon and cheese lover, then you’ll want to set it at 0.5 to 0.6 grams.
If you’re a carb fanatic, aim for 0.3 to 0.4 grams.
Your overall carb and fat intakes should be inverse, meaning that the higher one is, the lower the other. Those that are athletes stick to higher carbs for more energy and recovery.
Step #4 – Count the Carbs
Finally, we have reached the last step, carbs! Carbs often get a bad rep because of the popular ketogenic diet.
Carbs aren’t evil and are necessary for nutrition. However, like with any food, moderation is key.
First, you take your protein intake and multiply it by 4. Why 4? There are 4 calories in a gram of protein. This figure gives you the calories from protein you’re consuming.
Then, you take your fat intake and multiple it by 9 to give you the calories from fat.
Add these figures together and subtract it from your daily caloric intake and this will give you the calories from carbs needed.
Take that figure and now divide it by 4 and that’s where your carb intake should be at.
Now, this sounds more confusing than it is. However, I totally understand if you’re ready to ditch the math and use an online calculator.
But before you write it off, let’s do an example step by step to show how it breaks down.
Example
Sally is 140lbs and works a sedentary job but trains 2 times per week and loves greasy, fattening foods.
Take her weight of 140 and multiply that by 12 to get 1,680 calories needed per day.
Now, her protein intake would be 140 grams because she weighs 140lbs.
Sally loves fatty foods, so we will go with 0.5 grams per pound. Take 140 and multiply it by 0.5 to get 70 grams.
To get the protein and fat calories, take her weight and multiply by 4 for the protein (140 X 4) and add that with the fat (70 X 9) to get a total of 1,190 calories.
Now, take her daily caloric intake of 1,680 and subtract that from 1,190 and divide it by 4 to get 122.5 grams.
Sally’s ideal macros for cutting are 140 grams of protein, 70 grams of fat, and 122.5 carbs per day.
Macros are flexible and they will change over time.
What you initially start with will fluctuate as you start to lose weight or body fat.
The same applies if you’re bulking or gaining weight. That’s why it’s necessary to track your food and exercise intake to make changes as you continue your journey.
It’s important to note that you should be honest when calculating. Failure to be honest will only hurt your fitness goals.
How Do I Tell What Activity Level My Job Is At?
Sometimes, many first starting out find it tricky or confusing to know what type of job activity they have or lifestyle.
Most calculators don’t come with examples. Often, people overestimate how active they are.
Examples of which type of jobs and lifestyle you lead can be broken down into four categories.
These include sedentary, lightly active, moderately active, and highly active.
- Jobs that are considered sedentary include working as a driver, secretaries, clerks, and any job that requires you to sit for long periods.
- Lightly active jobs include teachers, hosts, or any job that involves some standing and movement.
- Moderately active jobs include nurses, servers, trainers, or any job that involves mostly standing and moving throughout the day.
- Highly active jobs entail construction workers, farmers, factory workers, or any job that is mostly lifting and moving around.
Final Thoughts
Losing weight is a challenge for everyone.
The good news is it doesn’t have to be.
There are plenty of tools online and on your phone to help keep you on track with your macros.
They even figure out your macros for cutting for you!
Remember, be honest about your eating habits and exercise routines.
Not being honest only hurts your fitness goals in the end.
