According to Google, the most searched diets in 2019 were intermittent fasting, the Dr. Sebi Diet, the Noom diet, the 1,200-calorie diet, and the GOLO diet—which requires followers to spend $199 up front and then $50 a month for the required supplements. It just goes to show that people are willing to pay to reach their goals.
Despite the abundance of diet options, 72 percent of Americans are considered overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Whether or not you’re one of those people, you might be happy to learn that there’s an easy, free diet method that can help you lose weight, bulk up, or maintain your physique: counting macronutrients.
Keep reading to find out what counting macros is, what it isn’t, and pro tips to a successful plan.
Counting macronutrients is a method of eating that requires you to track your calories, broken up into macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats), to ensure you’re eating more or less than your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) depending on your goals. It’s tedious at first because you need to weigh out all of your meats, veggies, and carbs, read labels, and cut way back on nights out and alcohol—but the end result is a more healthy and intuitive sense for how to eat in a way that works for you.
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How does tracking macronutrients work?
Counting your macros is a way to keep track of what you’re eating, but at the same time allow yourself to indulge in foods that would normally be off limits. You’d start by finding your daily macro allotment (see next slide), and then downloading a calorie-tracking app like MyFitnessPal to log all of your food.
Once you get those numbers, you’ll weigh and track your food, while also tracking your bodyweight and body measurements. From there, it’s easy. If you aren’t losing weight, decrease your macros a little, and if losing too much (more than three pounds per week) increase them.
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How to meet your macros
First, you need to figure out how many calories you should consume based on whether you want to lose or gain weight. “That’s easy,” says Jeb Stuart Johnston, an NYC-based transformation specialist and a coach with Stronger U Nutrition. “To lose, multiply your body weight by 10, and then by 13 to maintain, and 15 to gain.”
Once you have that number, you’ll need to calculate your macros. It’s important to know that there are 4 calories per gram of protein and carbohydrates and 9 calories per gram of fat. Johnston says to always eat one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Then, you’ll multiply your body weight by 0.3 to calculate your fats. The remainder of your calories will be left for your carbs.
For a 200-pound male looking to lose weight, it’d look like this:
200 (protein) x 4 = 800 (calories). Then, 200 (bodyweight) x 0.3 = 60 (grams of fat) x 9 = 540 (calories).
From there, you’ll add up 800 and 540 to get 1,340. Then, subtract 2,000 (your total calories) from 1,340 to get 600 calories and divide that by 4 to get 165 (grams of carbs).
So a 200-pound guy looking to lose fat will eat 2,000 calories, 200 grams of protein, 165 grams of carbohydrates, and 60 grams of fat. If you wanted to gain, you’d use the same formula but with a higher calorie number.
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How to make progress tracking macros
You’ll also have to track your body weight. Some coaches recommend one weekly weigh-in, but others, like Johnston, say daily weigh-ins help you track better but also become familiar with how certain foods and when you eat affects your weight fluctuations. Always weigh yourself in the morning and after using the restroom for the most accurate results.
You should also measure your waist weekly. Sometimes the number on the scale isn’t reflective of your progress—if you haven’t lost any weight, but your waist shrinks by half an inch, that means you’re losing fat and retaining muscle mass.
Typically, you’ll want to stick with your macros for two weeks before making any adjustments. After that time, if you’re down a few pounds, then keep your numbers the same. If you didn’t lose any weight or even gained some, then remove 10 grams of carbs and 5 grams of fat (almost 100 calories). If you’re trying to gain and lost weight, then add the same amount of macros. Then, reevaluate after another week.
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Common misconceptions about counting calories
There’s a common misconception that calorie counting is a way to eat as much junk as possible while still losing weight or gaining muscle. That’s not true. To meet the macro guidelines that we, and most sensible coaches, recommend, you’ll quickly find that you need to eat mostly single-macro foods, aka whole foods, (that is, foods that are mainly comprised of either fat, protein, or carbs).
This allows you to regulate your macro intake, and, as a bonus, most of these foods are low in calories, so you’re able to eat more of them compare to a slice of pizza or a burger, which is high in carbs, fats, and proteins. The point is: you can work in some treats, but expect to be eating plenty of chicken and lean beef, veggies, and carbs such as potatoes and rice.
“The thing about alcohol,” Mike Doehla, founder of Stronger U, says, “is that most people don’t have just one or two drinks. And then you have lowered inhibitions and probably don’t care about your diet, so you’re even more likely to eat poorly. Rarely are people at bars eating chicken and broccoli.”
Alcohol is also metabolized differently, according to Doehla, which in turn negatively affects your body’s ability to burn fat and build muscle. Then, there’s the lack of sleep you need to get to stimulate the release of muscle-building and fat-burning hormones like human growth hormone and testosterone. Oh, and forget about working out the next day with a wicked hangover. “Alcohol is really this five-headed dragon, Doehla quips. “It’s not just the calories; it’s everything else that comes with it.”
If you are going to drink, which is fine, then Doehla suggests pre-logging your drinks into MyFitnessPal so you can eat around the calories. Factoring them in ahead of time will also help you stick with just one or two by making you more accountable. Have more than three drinks, Johnston says, and that’s when you start to make poor choices.
Because alcohol is processed differently in your body, Doehla and the team at Stronger U have come up with these macro counts for alcoholic beverages:
Light beer, per 12 ounces: 10 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbs, 0 grams of protein
Craft beer, per 12 ounces: 10 grams of fat, 35 grams of carbs, 0 grams of protein
Wine, per 5 ounces: 10 grams of fat, 15 grams of carbs, 0 grams of protein
Liquor, per 1 ½ ounces: 10 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbs, 0 grams of protein
Spiked seltzers per 12 ounces: 10 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbs, 0 grams of protein
