Calories Or Macros – What Should You Be Counting?

Daily calorie tracking might be laborious, yet it can determine whether you gain or lose weight. These helpful tips can make calorie counting a breeze.

If you are planning to lose weight, here are a few things you can do to make your job easier.

Maintain a diary

Write down everything you eat, how many calories it contains, how often you exercise, how tall you are, and how much you weigh every week. Maintaining a record of your daily and weekly caloric consumption will allow you to monitor your progress (or lack thereof) and change your diet accordingly.

You should keep track of your calorie intake BEFORE you start eating. When you first start counting calories, you might be surprised by how many calories some meals contain. Don't allow the calorie count of your meal throw off your day average; instead, keep track of your intake in advance.

Leave the math to your phone

Numerous modern and helpful mobile applications exist to assist with calorie counting. These apps are fantastic for helping you make healthy decisions when dining out.

If you're going to count calories, make sure they're "good" calories. Do not eat 1800 kcal worth of pizza even if it would be under your daily calorie limit. Make those 1800 calories count and steer clear of the junk food. You can start losing weight if you stop eating for pleasure and start eating because your body needs the fuel.

The calorie vs macro counting debate

Calorie counting is a good place to start when trying to lose weight, but other people find that focusing on macros (macronutrients) instead is more effective. Weight loss, muscular gain, and increased vitality are all possible benefits of counting macros.

There are three main sources of energy in food: protein, carbohydrates (carbs), and fats. There are 4 calories in 1 gram of protein, 4 in 1 gram of carbs, and 9 in 1 gram of fat.

When it comes to losing weight and the type of weight you lose, the makeup of your diet (% of macros) has a significant role. Extra calories from fat or sweets will keep the weight on. Taking in an excessive amount of protein might strain your body's capacity to process it.

Consuming a predetermined ratio of calories from protein, carbohydrates, and fat can help you attain your goals more quickly and efficiently. Although everyone has somewhat different dietary requirements, there are several tried-and-true ways to divide up calories that have been shown to be beneficial for both fat loss and muscle preservation. 50% of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates, 30% from protein, and 20% from fat. Assuming you need to consume 1800 calories each day, your macros should consist of:

Half of your calorie needs, or 1800 calories, come from carbohydrates, thus you should consume 225 grams. 135 grams of protein is equal to 30% of 1800 calories, or 540 calories (at 4 calories per gram). Total fat content is 40 grams (20% of 1800 calories) or 360 calories (9 calories per gram). The key to getting the slim physique you want is selecting foods high in quality macronutrients rather than ones high in calories.