Begin to count your Macros
Lots of you have probably heard the gym goers and the Internet talk about how to count your Macros and what it all entails. Many of you won’t really understand how it’s best to begin doing something like this and some may just think it’s a fad that will pass with time. Let’s begin by breaking down what counting your macros actually entails and delve into the world of macros a little deeper for you.
Counting your macro nutrients basically means counting the amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fats you intake during a day. For seasoned bodybuilders and physique competitors this is simply a case of whipping out a food scale and going from there but to many it can seem daunting and some may not even care at all for such a menial task in their busy day. So why should you take part in counting your macros?
There are benefits to taking part in counting your macros and the key is to keep it constant and make sure you always keep a detailed track of what you’re eating and making sure you take it seriously otherwise, like any other health tip, it could lead to dead ends and not seeing any results from it at all.
The original idea is to count to how many grams of protein, carbohydrates and fat there are in each piece of food you consume. This can be a good starting point for your journey into macros simply by just counting those three staples in the meals you already eat during a day. This can be done with the labels that come with certain foods and if that isn’t possible then you can purchase a set of food scales and measure out each piece so you are aware of the amount you intake. Simply start by just being aware of what your eating and taking document of your diet through a week.
Let’s walk through an idea of how to count them and what you’ll need to try and take in during an average day’s eating for one example.
This particular one is set for someone with a light to moderate activity scale for each day and who wishes to lose some weight.
The basic model for a macro intake for a day worth of calories is roughly the following equation;
10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) + 5
So for example;
10 x 86kg (is 860) + 6.25 x 185cm (is 1156.25) – 28×5 (is 140) + 5
Simplified;
860 + 1156.25 – 140 + 5 = 1871.25
This total of 1871.25 would be that person’s aim for a calorie intake for a day in order to lose a few pounds with a moderate level of activity.
Using this equation you can begin to break down what to eat and how much of each protein, carbohydrates and fat you need to tailor to your own specific needs when dieting. It will always differ for people who train in different ways and who want specific things from their diets.
If you are struggling to find a reasonable plan for your own training them don’t feel bad about using an app or an Internet macro calculator in order to calculate exactly what kind of diet you wish to follow. It’s all about finding what will work best for you and if you can take the hard math and the long equations out of the question then why not do that and save yourself some valuable time?
You can alter the percentage of fats and protein you intake to tailor it to your own needs, for instance a person bulking would generally consume more carbs and proteins than fats. Figure out what you want from your diet and change it up to what you need with the percentage of each of the three pillars.
Make sure to do your research and buy the necessary tools if you decide to take the path of counting your macronutrients and be ready to fall heavily into it. Carrying it out half hearted will only result in half hearted results and you’ll be only be cheating yourself out of valuable time and effort doing so. Find your own way of getting the results you want and make sure you don’t take any unnecessary and eventually traumatic shortcuts otherwise it’ll be a waste of time. Get out there and do the damn thing for yourself and for your new diet regime and healthy eating ways!