‘Macro coaching’ is increasingly common these days.
Some call it flexible dieting. Others, macro-tracking.
You may know all about it. Through a personal trainer, a nutritionist, or friends who uses them.
Or perhaps just heard the phrase used in health and fitness circles.
In this article we'll discuss it all. From the basic principles, to specific advice on how you can track your macro intake. And some of the issues you need to address to be successful using this approach.
The Basics: What Are Macros?
Macros stands for macronutrients.
Macronutrients are the parts of foods that contain energy (calories). That is - Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates.
Alcohol also contains calories. They are not considered to technically be a macronutrient, but we do need to track alcohol intake because it does contribute to energy.
- Protein has 4kcal per gram. An average chicken breast weighs around 100-120g and has 30-40g of protein equating to 120-160kcal
- Fats 9kcal per gram. A tablespoon of olive oil is around 13g and is all fat, so it has ~120kcal.
- Carbs 4kcal per gram. A large potato is around 300g and is mostly carbs (60g), with a little protein (5g) and fat (1g). Giving it a total calorie count of ~275kcal.
- Alcohol 7kcal per gram. A shot of your favourite spirit (25ml) contains ~16g of alcohol and 110kcal.
To lose weight - or more specifically body fat - we need to be using more energy each day than we consume from food. If we are looking to gain weight the opposite is true.
This calories in versus calories out equation (CICO) is also known as energy balance.
Despite obeying the irrefutable laws of physiques, some people don’t ‘believe’ in CICO.
This is either a complete misunderstanding of how CICO works. Or a case of people using a certain diet - and attributing its success to something other than CICO. When actually this rule still holds true.
Even with people who ‘track’ their intake but don’t get the results they expect. Again, this does not refute CICO but does highlight that there are some problems with the approach.
Largely related to the potential errors in tracking macro data and/or people ignoring tracking all those little things that can really add up. Yes, that bite of cake... that spoonful of peanut butter... or that one last beer 'for the road' all contain calories no matter how insignificant they might seem.
Why Macros are important (or perhaps not)
Naturally, if we consider that calories matter then keeping an eye on our food intake and macros is probably a good idea. But why not just track total calories and not worry about macros?
Well, there are a few reasons...
Our total calorie intake will determine whether we lose or gain weight. But our macronutrient composition can influence how we lose or gain weight. How much weight we potentially lose. And how easily we can lose it.
Protein
Protein is the key macronutrient in this regard. In an energy deficit, a higher protein diet will help to preserve lean mass - especially when combined with exercise.
This is, of course, exactly what we want. When we lose weight we actually want fat loss, not just weight loss.
Preserving lean mass (and muscle tissue) will also help to maintain - or perhaps even increase - our energy expenditure.
This helps us to grow muscle and lose body fat at the same time. Particularly in those who are already overweight and/ or new to resistance training.
If the goal is weight gain, then we would typically want to ensure that it is from muscle mass not fat mass. And that sufficient protein is required to maximize this process.
Protein may also help keep us feeling fuller during weight loss
There is some evidence to suggest that when protein is digested into its building blocks - amino acids - the body detects these. And signals the brain to feel full.
Finally, protein actually takes a significant amount of energy to digest and absorb in the body. The energy required to digest food is called the thermic effect of food (TEF).
Calories in, calories out (CICO) is a dynamic process. So if we have a diet that contains foods that have a higher TEF, we can actually increase the ‘calories out’ side of the equation.
Same calories in, more calories out
Protein has a much, much higher TEF than both carbohydrates and fats. That means if we swap a very low protein diet for a high protein one, BUT keep the same amount of calories - we could actually cause fat loss.
Because although the ‘calories in’ side of the equation stays the same, our ‘calories out’ are significantly increased due to TEF.
This is why it is important for protein intake to be matched when comparing diets. In case the differences in fat loss is due to dietary composition.
Carbohydrates and fats
It is very ‘on trend’ at the moment to follow a low carb diet for fat loss. But what does science say?
It is certainly true that a low carb diet can cause fat loss. But are they actually more effective than diets with an equal amount of calories, but a higher amount of carbohydrate?
In terms of fat loss the answer to this is no. Although low carb diets may get more weight loss in the initial stages, a lot of it will be water weight. Because carbohydrates in our muscles and liver (glycogen) also hold a significant amount of water.
Weight loss v fat loss
If we reduce carbohydrate intake our glycogen reserves are quickly depleted. This prompts big drops in scale weight. But, remember - weight loss isn’t necessarily fat loss.
In terms of pure fat loss, it has been repeatedly shown in well-controlled studies there is no difference in dietary composition between carbs and fats - as long as calorie count is equal.
In fact, carbohydrates have a small advantage over fats because they typically have a higher TEF.
Many advocates of low carb diet suggest that hormones, like insulin, are responsible for fat gain and controlling this helps to lose body fat more rapidly.
Carbs v fats
It is certainly true that insulin is released as a response to carbohydrate (and protein) intake and not fat. Plus, insulin does increase fat storage - at least in the short term after eating.
But this is a gross oversimplification of how our body responds after eating.
Fats are essential in the diet. So even if we follow a lower fat, higher carb diet we need to make sure that there is some focus on fat intake for health reasons.
How do we track or count macros accurately?
There are several different food logging apps now available that allow you to either scan the foods you eat.
The most popular food tracking app is My Fitness Pal (MFP). MFP has a huge database of foods. Including pretty much every restaurant chain, supermarket and product you can think of.
Even if you are eating somewhere that doesn’t have its ‘macros’ on MFP, you can simply choose somewhere similar and get a rough estimate of intake.
So it really is this simple:
1. Figure out how many calories you need using a calorie calculator.
2. Work out how many of each macro you need for your goals.
3. Track your food intake and try to stay consistent and close to your targets each day.
If you prefer, you can have higher or lower days - depending on your schedule. You might want to cut loose a little at a social event, or perhaps want more food on a day when your energy expenditure is higher. No problem. As long as your averages over the course of a week (or weeks) come out the same.
The devil is in the data
Finally, we have to appreciate that these targets are only estimates. So we should be monitoring progress through collecting data on weight, measurements and pictures to inform any tweaks that might need making.
However, a few words of caution…
Food tracking apps are only as accurate as the people who use them.
Firstly, if we are tracking data and we can’t accurately weigh our macro intake it is easy to underestimate our intake.
It is also worthwhile noting that our version of a ‘serving’ might be different to what is on an app. And what the app logs as a serving compared to what we might see on a packet.
There are obviously many occasions where tracking accurately is a challenge. This is why it is also important to try to use tracking when we can, as a way to understand/educate ourselves on the nutritional value of foods. So when we can’t be 100% accurate, we can at least make a solid estimate.
Check what you track
Secondly, it is important to note that the foods in many tracking apps, including My Fitness Pal are often user generated. This means we might be reliant on other people putting in food data correctly.
Quite often data can be wrong or even missing. For example, we might think we are tracking macros when we are just tracking calories. So we could be easily racking up our calorie intake without realizing if we are solely focusing on macros.
It is a good idea to compare what you are tracking on the app to the information on the product/ restaurant website. Many companies now post their nutritional information online.
Are macros the be all and end all?
No, no they are not!
As much as calories matter and macros may do too, there are other things we need to consider if we are looking to get the most benefit from our dietary approach.
The foods we choose will impact on our feelings of fullness, helping us stick to a calorie deficit and making weight loss a bit easier.
One of the mis-applications of food logging is to use it to save up calories to then binge on junk food. Of course, there might be times when we want to keep certain days or meals lower in calories so that we can have the odd treat.
But purposefully saving up all your calories each day to then eat highly processed ‘junk’ foods is not the way to build a positive relationship with food.
Many people struggle with weight loss because of emotional eating. If someone overeats because of a behavioural trigger, then tracking alone is not going to deal with these issues.
In some situations, food timing and type might matter. Such as for athletes looking to fuel performance. We also need to pay attention to food quality, not just quantity. Making sure that we are getting enough fibre and essential vitamins and minerals in the diet to keep us healthy.
Practical Recommendations
Once you have estimated your calorie needs using an online calculator like this one...
Start by focusing on hitting your calorie targets with your normal food choices. Identifying your high calorie foods and those that don’t keep you feeling full.
If needed, swap in higher quality food sources into your diet. Regardless of your goal you will benefit from including lean protein sources, fruits and vegetables and whole grains and healthy fats. But some processed and refined foods are fine.
As a very general rule, if your diet is 80% unprocessed foods and 10-20% ‘junk’ then you should be able to have a nice balance between health and enjoyment (but try not to fit in junk for the sake of it).
Once you have a solid foundation and can track this accurately, then start to tweak your macronutrient ratios for your goals.
For fat loss and muscle gain, in the region of 1.5-2g protein per kg of body weight (e.g. a 100kg person to have 150-200g per day) will probably be sufficient for both goals.
Protein is related to lean body mass, so if you are a little overweight you might want to start at the lower end of this range.
Protein + fat + macros to suit
Aim to consume at least 0.5g/kg of fat per day or 15-20% of total daily calorie needs. Use olive oils, nuts, seeds and oily fish to get most of your dietary fats. Some animal fats like butter or in meat are fine in moderation.
Finally, once you have your protein and minimum fat requirements sorted, then fill out the rest of your macros as you see fit. If you like more carbs, keep fats lower and eat more carbs. If you like more fat… do the opposite.
Be patient, accurate and monitor consistently and before you make any adjustments. Give things at least 2 weeks to take effect before making changes.
With regard to muscle building, use increases in strength as your key guide as muscle growth is a slow process. And remember - all weight loss isn’t fat loss and other factors can play a part.
