If counting calories and restricting food groups doesn’t sound like your thing, but eating your faves while reaching your fitness goals does, then counting macros may be the right choice for you. Unlike other trendy diets creating buzz, counting macros allows for a great deal of flexibility and offers a lot of options. That’s because no matter whether the food is healthy or junky, it will fit into at least one of three categories – aka macronutrients, which you can then plug into your day as long as you stay within your macro allowance.

The Basics

Macronutrients are what make up the calories we consume. There are three macronutrients – protein, carbohydrate and fat – of which contain a certain number of calories per gram. We’ll use these numbers to calculate our macros. 

1 gram of protein = 4 calories
1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories
1 gram of fat = 9 calories

So instead of figuring out how many calories you need for the day, we’ll focus on how many grams of each macronutrient you need for the day – this is your daily macro allowance.

Following a macronutrient-based diet will give you insight into what you eat beyond what you see on the surface. Chicken and rice becomes a serving of protein and complex carbs. Want to have pizza tonight? Make room for a little bit of protein, mostly carbs, and fats. But don’t be mistaken - counting macros isn’t a green light to eat junk as long as “it fits your macros.” The key is to eat clean 80-90% of the time and allow for treats that fit within your macronutrient ratios where appropriate. No more missing out on Sunday Funday – plan the treats into your macros for the day and enjoy!

The ultimate bonus would be to fine tune your nutrition and tailor it to your body helping you understand what your body needs to reach various goals (weight gain, build muscle, fat loss, maintenance, etc.). With counting macros you can do just that.

How to Calculate Your Macros

Start with baseline macronutrient ratios based on your goals. Eat according to your starter macros for roughly 4-6 weeks, enough time to assess progress (if any). If you’re not seeing the results you’re looking for, adjust your macros a bit (reduce carbs, increase protein, add fat, etc.). Follow these new ratios for a few weeks, assess your progress, and make adjustments again as needed until you find what works best for your body. Start with one of the two ratio options below based on your goals:

Boost Metabolism/Burn Fat – 35% protein, 25% carbs and 40% fat
Build Muscle/Gain – 30% protein, 40% carbs, and 30% fat

Start by figuring out how many calories you need for the day. You can use an online calorie calculator tool, or multiply your body weight by 12.5 (for active individuals). Then plug in the ratios above (see below).

Here’s how your macronutrient breakdown looks if you are eating according to an 1800-calorie diet to boost metabolism and burn fat:

Protein = .35 x 1800 = 630 calories/4 calories = 157.5 grams protein per day
Carbs = .25 x 1800 = 450 calories/4 calories = 112.5 grams carbohydrate per day
Fat = .40 x 1800 = 720 calories/9 calories = 80 grams fat per day

Plan for Success

Instead of leaving it up to chance that you somehow eat according to your macronutrient breakdown, jot down a quick meal plan for yourself. Try breaking up the macronutrients into meals and snacks – maybe 3 meals and 1 snack, or 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. Then allot each meal a portion of your protein allowance, carbs and fats. Finish it up by filling in the snacks. These are tentative numbers that will likely change as you develop your plan. Your day may look as such (for an 1800-calorie fat loss diet):

Breakfast – 40 grams protein + 40 grams carbs + 17 grams fat
Snack – 18 grams protein + 14 grams fat
Lunch – 40 grams protein + 36 grams carbs + 17 grams fat
Snack – 18 grams protein + 14 grams fat
Dinner – 40 grams protein + 36 grams carbs + 17 grams fat

Sample Meal Plan following the breakdown above:

Breakfast – 2 large eggs + 4 large egg whites (cooked to your liking) + 2 slices toasted sprouted grain bread (like Ezekiel bread) + ¼ cup cubed avocado [protein 36g, fat 16g, carbs 35g]

Snack – 1 mozzarella string cheese stick + 1 ounce almonds [protein 13g, fat 20g, carbs 7g]

Lunch – 5 ounces grilled chicken breast + 3/4 cup cooked quinoa + 1 cup steamed broccoli + 1 tablespoon butter [protein 37g, fat 18g, carbs 34g]

Snack – 1 scoop whey protein powder (mixed in water) + 2 tablespoons peanut butter [protein 31g, fat 18g, carbs 8g]

Dinner – 4 ounces broiled or grilled salmon + 1 small baked potato + 1 cup steamed mixed vegetables [protein 35g, fat 9g, carbs 41g]

Total calories 1843, Fat 82 g, Carbs 124 g, Protein 152 g

Now let’s say you wanted to make room for a bagel with cream cheese -- nothing overly fattening, but still something a bit out of the norm. Here is how your day will change:

Sample Meal Plan following the breakdown above:

Breakfast – 100% whole wheat bagel + 4 tablespoons cream cheese [protein 15g, fat 19g, carbs 51g]

Snack – 1 string cheese + 1 ounce almonds + 1 scoop whey protein powder (mixed in water) [protein 36g, fat 22g, carbs 9g]

Lunch – 5 ounces grilled chicken breast + 3/4 cup cooked quinoa + 1 cup steamed broccoli + 1 tablespoon butter [protein 37g, fat 18g, carbs 34g]

Snack – 1 scoop whey protein powder (mixed in water) + 2 tablespoons peanut butter [protein 31g, fat 18g, carbs 8g]

Dinner – 4 ounces broiled or grilled salmon + 2 cups steamed mixed vegetables [protein 33g, fat 9g, carbs 8g]

Total calories 1822, Fat 86 g, Carbs 110 g, Protein 152 g

As you can see, you’re able to throw in a treat without throwing off your healthy day. The key is to stick with clean foods or semi-clean foods the majority of the time and not save macros for junk food like nachos and donuts.

How To Track Your Macros

Make your life easy and download a food log app on your phone, tablet or computer. There are a number of free applications out there that do all the work for you. All you have to do is log your food throughout the day and it will calculate your macronutrient totals. You can follow along throughout the day to make sure you’re staying on track. And if you’re lacking in any one macro, you can adjust your next meals and snacks accordingly.

Don’t make yourself crazy trying to reach each macronutrient goal to the letter. If you’re off plus or minus 10 grams you should still be within your ratio range. It’s not about stressing over diet -- it’s about fueling your body with a balance of nutrients while still getting to enjoy some tasty treats without the guilt.