Macros made easy

Okay so firstly, you need to calculate your macros.

 Check out IIFYM.COM for this, the macro calculator should sort you out. Now, it's important however when you do this you take into account YOUR body (I did a post on this, check it out if you haven't already) Online calculators will use your bodyweight/heigh and exercise level and give you a good indicator of what you should be consuming. But, it goes without saying that not everyone's body's work the same way. For instance a girl could be on 300g carbs a day and be super lean, whereas another girl who is carb sensitive may have to up her fats/protein and stick to 100g carbs a day. Listen to your body, you know how it will respond to things better than anyone else. Just because someones on super low carb it doesn't mean your body will function efficiently on the same amount, this is why when people ask me what my macros are I often feel reluctant to give them out, some people will literally follow the exact same macros and it just won't work for them. 

Making it easier 

- My fitnesspal is a great app for macro counting, you can literally enter the food your eating and it's weight and it'll track exactly how much carbs/proteins/fats/calories you've consumed. Definitely worth downloading. 

Questions often asked 

Do I track veg? 

Okay, so this entirely down to your goals. Say, a girl was looking to lean down for a comp then yes, of course veg will matter. It is a carb source and it will effect things if you're looking to be super picky. But, I would say if you're someone looking to build muscle/tone up then it doesn't matter so much. Veg contains different amounts of carbs, for instance peas are quite high in carbs, kale is not. If you're wanting to stick to a fairly low carb diet (i.e you're trying to lose fat) and you don't want to weigh out your veg (it does get tedious) then stick to lower carb veg such as - kale, spinach, cabbage, sprouts, celery, mushrooms, zucchini, leaks, asparagus, lettuce and broccoli. Some veg have higher carbs, they're more starchy like - potatoes, carrots, peas and squash. I'm not saying avoid these, but if you don't fancy weighing out your food and your carb conscious eat lots of the greens. 

Do I track fruit?

I believe fruit should be tracked. Fruit should definitely be a part of your diet. It restores liver glycogen most effectively! However, fruit has carbs. Some higher than others of course, a small banana has 25g of carbs for instance. If you ate 4 of these a day and didn't track them then you'd definitely be going over your carb macros. Fruits that are lower in carbs/sugar include - raspberries, rhubarb, blackberries, strawberries, watermelon, blueberries. So say for instance you had some yogurt and you put a few berries on top, I wouldn't be too fussed on counting them (unless you're in prep) but say you added a banana. Count away. I think what matters is that you're consistent, if you've always tracked fruit then continue tracking them. 


Do I weigh cooked or uncooked?


It goes without saying that 100g of cooked rice is entirely different to 100g of uncooked rice. My advice for keeping it simpler would be to weigh out your food cooked. 

What if I go over/under my macros? 

Put simply..you will explode into a million tiny pieces. No but..

Going over your macros by a long shot is okay, as long as you don't do it often. Going over your macros very slightly by say 10% a few times a week is also okay. However, I don't advise going below your macros. They we're calculated that way for a reason. Whether your goal be weight loss or weight gain, it's detrimental. You may ask well..when you're trying to lose weight surely eating less would be better? Well yes, you may lose more weight but I think when you're trying to lose weight you should aim to lose it in the healthiest way possible. You should be consuming the most amount of calories you can whilst burning fat, this way you don't go crazy or hungry and your workouts won't suffer. When trying to gain weight, if you're consistently going under then this WILL add up. Another thing with this is, you don't need to stick to your macros EXACTLY, nor does every food need to be weighed EXACTLY you don't need to obsess over it, don't develop an unhealthy relationship with food over it. 
I also want to make a point here that eating below your macros a few times a week then over eating other days will balance your macros out and probably lead to the same movement on the scale. However, it's not optimal. Meal timing and frequency do matter no matter what people say; if you're starving your body one day then you won't be providing your body with optimal conditions for muscle growth. In conclusion, you'll probably end up with more fat and less muscle. 

Do I count sauces/condiments?

Right so again, this can vary. You don't need to go crazy and count every little thing, it may all get too much. I think here you should just take into account which sauce you're using. Lathering your food in mayo and not counting it wouldn't be the best of ideas. 1TBSP mayonnaise has 10g of fat, that stuff should be tracked in larger quantities. But a low cal dressing on your salad for instance, as long as you're not drenching your food in it, you don't need to worry about it. Watch out for over doing it on the sour cream, ketchup and mayonnaise though. Healthier alternatives could be lemon juice, vinegar, hot sauce, salsa, olive oil (this does have calories but is extremely beneficial) 

What do I do when I'm eating out?

My advice would be to keep it simple. If you're looking to keep on track whilst eating out then get something that's familiar to you. For instance, meat, veg and a carb source. You'll know vaguely what you're consuming and you'll be able to track relatively easily. Bare in mind that when you eat out you may not get what you bargained for, as in..your healthy salad may actually be covered in a high cal dressing. You could ask for the dressing on the side or not at all, or alternatively take it in your stride as sometimes you gotta let loose a little. What I'm saying here is you don't need to restrict the things you enjoy, one untracked meal won't hurt you. 

Do you count the protein from say a carb source? 

If you're using the myfitnesspal app then this automatically happens. But say you're following a plan from your trainer and you don't really need the app then you'll be following a plan and then this question rises. My approach to this is similar to what I've said up there, I don't right now as I'm training to gain mass. If there's a little bit of carbs in say..my almonds (which there is) I don't account for this.Another example is avocado, when this is my diet I don't register the protein/carb content and use it primarily as a FAT source. Same goes with oats, it has protein and fat but for me it's just carbs. I guess it depends on the quantity as well as the food itself, some foods ..for instance ..red meat will be high in protein but will also be high in fat, and therefore you should account for this. 



Some extra tips 

1g fat = 9 cals
1g carbs = 4 cals
1g protein = 4 cals


Stick to a similar meal format, it's just easier this way. I go carb source, protein source, fat source in my meals. They will vary depending on how I'm feeling but I know vaguely (and now even by eye) how much of each macronutrient they contain. You don't have to do this ALL the time, I'm just saying that it's a lot simpler that way. Luckily for me I love the same foods. You'll also find that as you get used to these foods you can actually see by eye in what quantity they are. Then you get macro counting pro status and they send you a certificate and everything (not srs) 

Weigh out your foods with an electric scale, makes life so much easier. 

Make sure you take into account there are calories in drinks too, this is where a lot of people slip up. This as well as the way your foods may be cooked, if you fried your food it would have entirely different macros to say if you steamed it. 

If you're worried about the fat contents in your meat stick mainly to lean meats. Eg- tuna, chicken, turkey, lean cuts of pork, reduced fat bacon medallions. But also, be aware that high fat protein sources such as salmon contain essential fatty acids and although you will have to consider the fat content in your meat they are VERY beneficial, and called essential for a reason. 

Net carbs actually do count, they do mean there is less carbs but they do provide energy. So don't go absolutely crazy if something has very little net carbs, it can often mean it has been replaced by something different such as sugar alcohols. I know what you're thinking..BUT QUEST BARS. These thankfully do not contain sugar alcohols but should be taken into account. 

Stay consistent. If you're eating a certain food and not tracking it, and you're gaining fat (when you don't want to be) then track it. Similarly, if you're losing fat and not tracking a certain food then why track it? as long as you're staying consistent you will see results.

Avoid smoothies whilst dieting. They have the sugar/calories of the fruit but without the fiber content..meaning you'll go hungry. 

 Tracking macros is a great way of seeing how your body responds to certain things. Play around with your macros and see what happens, learn about your body and what it responds best to, it may be time consuming but it's the only way you'll learn what works best for you.