MACRONUTRIENT SPLITS (__% CARBS, __ % FAT, __% PROTEIN)
First things first, I don’t recommend tracking macros if you don’t already have pretty good handle on eating a healthy, balanced diet. It will just be another unnecessary stressor added to your life. If you already eat a well balanced diet and want to take your physique to the next level or break a plateau, that’s where tracking macros can come in.
If you don’t ever want to track macros, that’s totally cool too. This information can still be useful when making healthy food choices because I’m not telling you to go eat this many grams of this macro. These are just general guidelines from what I’ve learned via my personal experience and my studies with Precision Nutrition.
Macronutrients aka macros= Protein, carbs, & fat.
On any given day, your total energy intake in is dictated by the amount of each macronutrient that you consume. Protein and carbs have 4 calories per gram. Fats have 9 calories per gram. You can and will have days where your macro split varies, and that’s totally normal.
What matters the most for fat loss, maintenance, or mass gain is calorie balance
Calorie balance= Energy in – energy out Fat loss: energy in < energy out Maintenance: energy in= energy out Mass gain: energy in > energy out
The way you choose to set up your macronutrient is totally up to you. Here are a few things to consider:
Your goals: Do you want to -lose fat: you need a caloric deficit -gain muscle: you need a caloric surplus -maintain: you need to balance energy in and energy out You can eat a high carb diet and still be in a caloric deficit, balance or surplus. You can eat a high fat diet and still be in a caloric deficit, balance, or surplus.
Your current diet/preference: Do you -currently eat a significant amount of dietary fat: a macro split higher in healthy fats lower in carbs may fit your needs better -currently eat a significant amount of carbs: a diet lower in fat and higher in unprocessed carbs may fit your needs better -currently eat a lot/a little protein: protein should be the one thing that stays generally constant. Whatever your goal is, you want to focus on consuming enough protein to support the maintenance and/or development of your lean muscle tissue. I say fat loss rather than weight loss because you do NOT want to lose your lean body mass, which will be the first thing to go if not fed properly. How much is enough protein? There’s no one right answer. I go into more detail about that here.
Your body type: Are you -naturally thin (ectomorphic): you are more likely to be able to tolerate a diet higher in carbs. -naturally muscular and athletic (mesomorphic): you can probably consume a mixed diet with a moderate amount of carbs. -naturally thick and broad(endomorphic): if you find you do not seem to tolerate carbs well, a diet higher in healthy fats, lower in carbs is likely to benefit you.
Your activity type/level: Do you -train mainly endurance exercises (ex: running): see ectomorphic body type -train mainly strength exercises (ex: bodybuilding): see mesomorphic body type -train absolute strength exercises (ex: powerlifting): see endomorphic body type
Now let me just say this, your body type is not an end all be all WHATSOEVER. Where you’re at today is based on the habits you’ve developed and activities you’ve partaken in over time. Your body type IS NOT set in stone. You may not fit one specific body type either, you can be a mix of two body types like me. You can train yourself to become more like one and move away from another. You control how your genes are expressed, your genetics DO NOT control you. Yes, some people are more genetically blessed than others, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put in the work to get where you want to be. It’s not going to be easy, and you have to be consistent.
Here’s a cheat sheet to get a better idea of which foods have which macros.
I hope this helped, even if in the smallest way for only one person.
If you have any questions or would like one-on-one guidance with your nutrition and/or training please don’t hesitate to shoot me an e-mail, I’d be glad to help.
Have a good weekend! Sydney