Health and Fitness

A step by step guide to counting macros

If you are a person interested in fitness and well being, or a work out enthusiast, or simply believe that weight loss is but a science with a mathematical equation, there is no way you would not know about macros, and counting them. Perhaps the personalized nutrition coaching online you signed up for has mentioned it, and that piqued your interest. Whether you are new and looking to explore this macro world, or need a refresher to understand how the whole counting works, this guide will be your best buddy!

Remember if you count macros right, and understand the big deal about the whole counting, your weight loss, fitness, health journey is half done. You don’t have to starve yourself or go on that fad diet to get a beach body. It is math, and all you need is to get the equation right!

But before we begin, let this be ingrained in your mind – counting macros will add value to your workout plan only when you eat clean. Lets dive in!

What are macros?

Macros, short for macro nutrients are the three biggies of food – proteins, fats and carbohydrate. Everything and anything you consume, plant or animal based, healthy or unhealthy food will have these three as their major constituents. The combinations and proportions however differ – while almonds may have high protein and fat, with little carbohydrate, a slice of bread may be high carb, low protein and fat.

Now, remember every food irrespective of which macros in constitutes will add calories to your intake. Calories are just another number and do not matter. But where you get your calories from matters. A lot. A slice of lean meat may have the same calories as a glass of sugary soda, but it is an healthier option because it is adding value, while the soft drink is just piling up calories.

Carbohydrates:

These are primary energy sources. When you consume carbohydrates, they are broken down into glucose which are stored in your muscles and liver for future use – meaning, for everything from hitting that key on the keyboard, to breathing you expend energy, and that is precisely this stored energy. They release energy almost immediately after being consumed (think petrol or paraffin).

Also, this is the first to be burnt when you exercise. Every gram of carbohydrate consumed gives you 4 calories of energy, So if you are consuming 100 grams of rice which has majority carbs, you are roughly consuming 350 calories. You get the math! However not all carbohydrates are equal. Carbs that are whole meal, complex carbohydrates often have fiber a very beneficial nutritive component. Adding roughage to your diet helps with digestion and the overall gut upkeep of your system.

Fat:

This big guy gets an unnecessary bad name. Let us warn you – just like carbs, not all fat are good or bad. Fats are essential building blocks too, and are necessary in cell repair, hormone production, cell longevity and nutrient absorption. Just like carbs, there are saturated and unsaturated fats, which by the grace of advertisements on the TV you all know very well now. Fat gives you a whopping 9 calories per gram, which you might want to note while counting macros. This mean sthat fat is a calorie dense food. That batura fried in ghee makes you feel “heavy” because of this. Choosing right fats is very important. Grass fed butter, desi ghee, virgin coconut oil and olive oil are some good fats while vanaspati – not so much.

Protein:

The hero of  food groups, and the most sought after because our body does not store protein like it stores carbs. What our body is constantly doing is burning is continuously. Did you know that most of our DNA is made of protein? We need proteins – these building blocks because of this precise reason. Our body is continuously doing a process called “protein turnover” where it is doing a lot of cell replacement, tissue repair and growth. Like the other brothers, the leaner the protein the better. Each gram of protein contributes 4 calories to your diet.

How do you count macros?

For a start, you can consider google. There are numerous calculators available online. But they are generalized. If you are serious about getting a programmed diet, that considers your lifestyle, body type and habits, you must look for experts who specially offer Indian diet and exercise programs online. A certified nutritionist will tell you how many calories you need per day. Which foods you could get them from.

Trina Roy has certified nutrition coaches, who can understand your macros, design a program that will fit into your routine without it seeming like a chore. Remember it is also about how, and when you eat as much as what you eat. To count your macros though you would need a detailed understanding of the building blocks.

Just be mindful of what you are eating and what each food is built of. You can also do a neat meal calendar. Suppose you are going to a party on the weekend, plan your macros in advance accordingly. A personalized nutrition coach will tell you how to customize your macros and get the best of it.

Happy counting!

Ganesh Reddy Aleti

Experienced Digital Marketing Executive with a demonstrated history of working in the professional industry. Skilled in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Off-Page SEO, Backlinks, Google Trends, and Social Media Optimization (SMO). Strong marketing professional with a masters of business administration focused in Marketing from Avanthi institute of engineering and technology.

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