Recently, there
has been more talk about people wanting to “count their macros.” If the term
isn’t familiar to you, it simply means taking a more tailored approach
regarding your intake of the “big three” macronutrients: protein, carbohydrate,
and fat.
Depending on your
calorie needs and objectives, counting macros can be a way to provide the right
amounts of these vital nutrients and help you achieve your goals.
What Are Macronutrients and Why Are They
Important?
The reason
protein, carbohydrate, and fat are called macronutrients is because you need
them in relatively large amounts. Your intake of these nutrients is measured in
grams, whereas micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are measured in
milligrams and micrograms.
All macronutrients
are vitally important because they serve as sources of energy to the body, and
when you choose the right food sources, they can provide an abundance of those
micronutrients, too.
Each macro group
has a distinct and primary function in the body, which is why the right balance
of the three is important:
Protein
Your body creates
essential proteins, such as enzymes and hormones, from the amino acids found in
protein-rich foods you consume. Protein is also necessary for your immune
system to produce antibodies, which are specialized proteins that aid in
defending your body against foreign invaders.
Additionally,
dietary protein is required for the assembly of transport proteins, such as
hemoglobin, which transports oxygen to all the cells in your body. In fact,
protein is essential for almost every cell in your body and is what physically
binds us together.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates
are the body’s primary fuel source, and all your cells, tissues,
and organs rely on a steady supply. Good sources of carbohydrates include:
●
Vegetables
●
Whole fruits
●
Whole grains
●
Beans
●
Dairy products
Fat
Fats serve as a
major fuel source for your basic metabolic processes, support the health of the
brain and nervous system, and help your body take up fat-soluble vitamins and
certain phytonutrients.
What Is the Best Macronutrient Ratio?
All macros are
important for good health, and it’s important to get the right balance of the
three – which is why it’s best to steer clear of diets that severely restrict your intake of
any one macro.
General
recommendations around macro intake usually provide a range for each, allowing
for customization. Recommendations typically range from:
●
40-65% of your calories from carbohydrates
●
10-40% of your calories from protein
●
15-35% of your calories from fat
The key is to find
the balance that works for you.
A good starting
point is a “40-30-30” macro ratio:
●
40% of your calories from carbohydrates
●
30% of your calories from protein
●
30% of your calories from fats.
For most people,
this ratio provides the right amounts of macros to support your goals, whether
it’s balanced nutrition, weight loss, or muscle gain.
Some adjustments
might be needed for specific situations, though. Endurance athletes, for
example, may need more carbohydrates as a proportion of calories and may want
to boost carbs closer to 50% of total calories and reduce fat and protein to
25% each. To learn more, visit Know
Your Macros: How Protein, Carbs, and Fat Fuel Athletic Performance.
How to Calculate Your Calorie Needs
To count macros,
you first need to have an idea of your calorie needs and then complete the
calculations based on the percentages of each macronutrient.
Using a Macro
Calculator
Online, you’ll be
able to find calculators that provide estimates of your daily needs according
to your age, height, weight, and sex.
If you don’t use
an online calculator, you can use the “quick” method to estimate your calorie needs:
- Simply multiply your current weight by
15.
- The number you get is roughly the
number of calories you need to maintain your weight if you are moderately
active.
- For example, if you weigh 150 pounds
and you exercise regularly, it probably takes about 2250 calories a day
for you to maintain your weight.
Calculating Macros
for Weight Loss
No matter how you
count your daily needs, if weight loss is your goal, you’ll want to subtract
500 calories from the estimate, which should allow for a half-pound weight loss
per week. Always be sure that you take in a minimum of 1200 calories per day to
make sure you have adequate calories to spend on the foods and nutrients you
require.
How to Calculate Your Macro Percentages
Now that you know
your calorie needs, the next step is to count your macro ratio and calculate
the number of grams of protein, carbohydrate, and fat you will eat per
day.
Keep in mind:
●
Protein has 4 calories per gram
●
Carbohydrate has 4 calories per gram
●
Fat has 9 calories per gram
Let’s use a
2,100-calorie diet and our 40-30-30 ratio as an example: 40% of calories from
carbohydrates, 30% of calories from protein, and 30% of calories from fat.
Carbohydrate:
●
4 calories per gram
●
40% of 2,100 calories (2,100 x 0.4) = 840 calories of carbs per
day
●
840 calories from carbohydrates/4 calories per gram = 210 grams of
carbohydrates per day
Protein:
●
4 calories per gram
●
30% of 2,100 calories (2,100 x 0.3) = 630 calories of protein per
day
●
630 calories from protein/4 calories per gram = 158 grams of
protein per day
Fat:
●
9 calories per gram
●
30% of 2,100 calories (2,100 x 0.3) = 630 calories of fat per day
●
630 calories from fat /9 calories per gram = 70 grams of fat per
day
Your final daily
intake would be:
●
2,100 calories per day
●
840 calories from carbohydrate or 210 grams of carbs per day
●
630 calories from protein or
158 grams of protein per day
●
630 calories from fat or 70
grams of fat per day
How to Track Your Macro Intake
Now that you know
how much of each macro you’re going to eat each day, you’ll want to keep track
of your intake. Again, there are food trackers that can do this for you, and
nutrition information is readily available online, as well as on nutrition
facts panels on packaged foods.
The nutrition
facts panels on food labels provide protein, carbohydrate, and fat grams per
serving – just confirm that the serving size you consume matches that on the
label. If you eat more than the designated serving size, you’ll need to adjust.
You don't have to
accomplish your desired macro balance at every meal. Instead, concentrate on achieving it
throughout the day. It's acceptable for certain meals or snacks to have more
protein than others - the benefit of tracking your macros is that you may make
adjustments during your next meal or snack.
What Are the Benefits of Counting Macros?
Finding the right
macro balance and keeping track of your macros can be useful in helping you
reach your goals – whether it’s to lose weight, gain muscle, or provide the
right balance to fuel activity. More importantly, it may improve the quality of
your diet.
For example, if
you are watching your weight and you opt to simply count calories, there’s no
guarantee that you’ll make the best food choices. If the only thing you’re
keeping track of is your calories, you could spend them on unhealthy junk foods
while still staying within your daily calorie limit – but you’d probably be
shortchanging yourself on several important nutrients. However, when you keep track of your macros
and learn the best food sources for each, you’re more likely to be consuming a
nutrient-dense diet.
One way to think
of nutrient density is to think of your calories as cash – and to buy as much
nutrition as you can with the calories you have to spend. By prioritizing
nutrient-dense foods – lean sources of protein, vegetables, whole grains and
beans, whole fruits, and healthy fats from foods like nuts and seeds – you’re
spending your calories most wisely. And, when you budget your calories for each
macro, that’s smart spending.
About Herbalife Nutrition
Ltd.
Herbalife Nutrition (NYSE: HLF) is a global nutrition
company that has been changing people's lives with great nutrition products and
a business opportunity for its independent distributors since 1980. The Company
offers science-backed products to consumers in 95 markets by entrepreneurial
distributors who provide one-on-one coaching and a supportive community that
inspires their customers to embrace a healthier, more active lifestyle. Through
the Company’s commitment to nourish people, communities and our planet,
Herbalife Nutrition pledges to achieve 50 million positive impacts – tangible
acts of good – by 2030, its 50th anniversary.
