Ever heard the term "macro" before and been confused or unsure of what it actually meant? If you have tried googling it, you probably got even more overwhelmed because there is endless nutrition information out there (some good, some bad- but thats a story for another day). Here is what you actually need to know about Macros as a normal, everyday human being who is just trying to get healthier.
The term "macros" is short for macronutrients. Macronutrients are the main components that make up our foods. The three macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Every single food that we eat is made up of a certain percentage of one or more of these macronutrients. Think about a chicken breast for example- chicken breast contains mostly protein, with a small amount of fat. Or take a carrot, carrots contain only carbohydrates. So when you eat something, the calories you are consuming are either proteins, carbohydrates, fats or a combination (the diagram below is super helpful if you are a visual learner). Our food also contains micronutrients, or vitamins and minerals. We will get into this in another post!
Over the years, people realized that they could manipulate the percentage of protein to carbs to fats that they consumed to achieve a fat loss goal. This was and still is super popular in the body building/ fitness competition world! I am sure you have heard people say they are "counting their macros" as a method of losing body fat. The notorious phrase "well, it fits my macros!" was used A LOT over the last 10 years.
When done well and intentionally, counting macros can be a very successful fat loss, or muscle gain method! I have done it myself and I genuinely really enjoyed it while getting great results. I coach most of my nutrition clients on counting macros in an educated, intentional, mindful, healthy way! As with anything, counting macros is not right for everyone.
And honestly, thats really all you NEED to know. There is so much more science beneath the surface of macronutrients, but as a normal human looking to live a healthier life, there are better things to spend your energy on. If you want to know more information, I would be happy to help send you in the right direction or answer any questions you may have. If you are looking for more in depth, individualized nutrition coaching, I take 1-2 new nutrition clients a month so please send me an email if you are interested and I will get you on my schedule.
Happy Eating Friends!!
*all the credit goes to the original posters of these images, I did not create these images*