Counting Macros For Weight Loss The Right Way
Counting macros for weight loss can be a very effective tool to ensure you are giving your body what it needs. But there is the right way to do it and there’s the wrong way to do it. I’m going to outline how to approach counting macros for weight loss the right way so that you’re not only eating to lose weight but also eating for overall health. Remember, just because you’re losing weight, doesn’t mean you’re supporting the health of your body. That’s a huge misconception in today’s weight loss world.
What is Macro Counting
Counting macros refers to a method of tracking your macronutrient intake to support either weight loss, weight gain, or weight maintenance. It is tracking the total amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fat that you consume during the day and staying within a target range for each in order to reach your weight goals.
For example, you might be trying to lose weight and have chosen to count your macros to do so. You may have a target of 1800 calories a day total to lose weight. In this total, you might have a macronutrient goal of 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbohydrates.
This would be:
135 grams protein
180 grams carbohydrates
60 grams fat
This amount would equal 1800 calories per day. You would stay as close to these numbers as possible to support your goals.
Counting Macros The Wrong Way
When you count macros, what you put in your body matters. You can make anything fit in to your macros, even if it doesn’t support the health of your body. Here are some situations that are considered macro counting for weight loss - but just don’t support your body well.
Overeating protein powders and meal replacements because they fit your macros
Fitting a lot of processed foods in to your macros
Undereating fibre (since this technically isn’t a macronutrient)
Eating poor fats (like seed oils and foods cooked in seed oils) because it fits in to your macros
Undereating good fats to support hormones, brain health and so much more (maybe your macro percentages don’t support your health)
not considering food quality because that isn’t always considered in macro diets
Undereating overall calories
Being in a deficit for too long and thus having negative consequences on the body
You can eat poor quality foods while still hitting your macronutrient targets. You’ll still lose weight, which is a good thing and still helpful for the body, but if you’re not eating good quality whole foods, you won’t be supporting your overall health and could run in to symptoms like:
Fatigue
Poor immune function
Poor thyroid function
Less resiliency to stress
Conditions related to nutrient deficiencies
Hormone imbalances
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about how we can count macros the right way to support weight loss AND overall health.
Counting Macros the Right Way
Whenever I work with someone one-on-one, one of the first things that I do is look at what and how much they are currently eating. Then I work with them to start eating balanced meals even before we ever start to talk about macronutrients or calories. In my experience, just changing up the way that you are eating, without ever counting a single macronutrient or calorie, will help to lose weight. You may not even realize that you are overeating, severely undereating, or not getting enough protein or fat.
That is why I suggest focusing on balanced meals first (half the plate of non starchy vegetables, 3-4 ounces of protein, a healthy fat, and a whole food carbohydrate) and food quality second - whole foods grown as naturally as possible will always be better for the body. Then after we get those habits down along with some other important lifestyle habits, we introduce macro counting to further support weight loss.
How to count macros for weight loss
The first step is determining the total amount of calories that you need to consume during the day for weight loss. I do not suggest going below 1600 calories per day in most situations.
Once you know your daily calorie intake, you distribute these calories over across your macronutrients. A common macro split for weight loss is 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat. These can be adjusted based on individual needs and health goals.
For example, say you are aiming for 1800 calories per day and using the 40-30-30 macronutrient split. This is what you would aim for:
Carbohydrates: 180 grams (40% of 1800 calories = 720 calories, divided by 4 (calories per gram)
Protein: 135 grams (30% of 1800 calories = 540 calories, divided by 4 (calories per gram)
Fat: 60 grams (30% of 1800 calories = 540 calories, divided by 9 (calories per gram)
These ratios might change a bit based on your goals. For instance, in maintenance you would be eating more calories overall and thus your macronutrients goals would be more as well.
I never suggest going below 30% calories from fat. Fat is needed by the body for hormone health, mental health, nutrient absorption, and so much more. Getting healthy fats in is essential.
Tips for Counting Macros
Meal Plan and Prep
Planning and prepping your meals means that you have healthy meals when you are out of time and needing something quick. It ensures that you are never left trying to figure out what to have for supper when you only have a limited amount of time to get it ready! It helps you stay on track and can even help you include healthier sweet desserts so you’re not reaching for poor quality cookies and chocolate when you are wanting something sweet.
Choose Quality Over Quantity
Like I said before, just because it fits in to your macros, doesn’t mean it’s helpful to your body and weight loss. Yes, protein bars and meal replacement shakes fit in to your macros, but that doesn’t mean they are healthy. Stick to whole foods 90% of the time and add in these things for fun when wanted. Shop as locally and naturally as possible.
Include Fibre Rich Foods
You can fit processed carbs in to your macros, no problem, but that doesn’t mean that you should. Fibre keeps your full, balances your blood sugar levels, and improves your digestion. Stick to fibre rich starchy and non-starchy vegetables and whole grains carbohydrate sources like wild rice, chickpeas, and lentils.