Counting Macros vs. Counting Calories
What’s better, counting macronutrients or counting calories to keep track of your food? In this article, we will go over the basics of what makes up different macros, why tracking your food could be beneficial, and which one might be better for your goals.
What’s the difference between calories and macros?
Macro is short for “macronutrient,” the 3 main macronutrients are proteins, fats, and carbs.
All macronutrients (and all food) contain calories.
A calorie is how much energy is derived from a specific quantity of food. If something contains 100 calories, it will take your body 100 units of energy to burn as fuel, or your body will store the 100 calories.
Calories are not inherently good or bad; our brains, muscles, and every cell in our body require energy to function.
A calorie is a unit of energy. When you hear something contains 100 calories, it's a way of describing how much energy your body could get from eating or drinking it.
What is a Calorie?
Technically speaking, a calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise 1 gram of water by 1 degree celsius - but that’s not helpful...
Depending on your goals, weight, height, age, sex, and activity levels, everyone has a different daily requirement for caloric intake. As mentioned previously, we need calories to carry out basic metabolic functions of the brain, kidneys, lungs, and nervous system- just to provide a few examples.
On average, women need about 1,600 to 2,400 calories a day and approximately 2,000 to 3,000 calories for men.
There are several ways to calculate how many calories we need daily.
The most common method used to calculate our daily caloric expenditure is to measure our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is how many calories we need in one day just to sustain life (or lay in bed all day).
My preferred method for calculating daily caloric expenditure based on your body, activity levels, and goals is to use an online calorie calculator to approximate how many calories you should intake.
Macronutrients
Macro counting means specifically counting the amount of macronutrients- fats, carbohydrates, and proteins (in grams)- consumed in one day.
Essentially, it’s a more in-depth way of counting calories because each gram of either fats, carbs, or protein contains a certain amount of calories or energy.
1 gram of protein = 4 calories
1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories
1 gram of fat = 9 calories
Everyone’s macro requirements will differ for the same reasons each person's calorie requirement is different, based on gender, weight, muscle mass, activity level, health status, and goals.
As a general guideline for health, the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR) set by the National Academy of Sciences for each macronutrient in your diet are:
10-35% proteins
45-65% carbs
20-35% fats
There are also online macronutrient calculators that will factor in your goals, and even your lean muscle mass.
Nutritional Info
Keep in mind that calories and macros aren’t the only things that matter when considering what to consume. The nutritional value of your food is also essential.
Calories as a unit of energy are the same, but not all calories are created equal.
Nutrients are important parts of each unit of energy, and not every calorie has the same amount of nutrients.
For example, apple vs. soda:
One medium apple contains:
About 95 calories
4 grams of fiber (17% of your daily value)
19 grams of sugar
Apples are high in vitamin C, potassium, and various other antioxidants.
One 12 oz can of Coca-Cola contains:
140 calories
45 mg of sodium
39 grams of added sugars
No nutritional value
It’s clear that eating one apple has fewer calories and sugars and contains many more micronutrients than a soda. This makes an apple a nutrient-dense food.
“Nutrient-dense food” is food that is high in nutrients but relatively low in calories.
Nutrient-dense foods are foods that contain vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats. Examples of nutrient-dense foods include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seafood, lean meats, eggs, peas, beans, and nuts.
Drinking a soda is essentially consuming something that has empty calories. Empty calories contain little to no nutritional value. They often come from added sugars and solid fats (butter, shortening and fats found in some meats.) They can occur naturally but are usually added to foods.
All macronutrients, and calories, contain micronutrients which are smaller nutritional categories, such as vitamins and minerals like calcium, zinc, and vitamin B-6.
A lack of certain vitamins and minerals can produce various health issues, such as increased infection risk, weakness, fatigue, hair loss, dry skin, and even depression.
If your goal is to lose weight by maintaining a calorie deficit, you’ll want to find food sources that are filling and provide you with all the vitamins and minerals you need—quality over quantity.
Why Count anything?
Counting calories can be an effective way to lose weight, leading to a ton of significant health benefits. Obesity is a significant risk factor for and contributor to increased morbidity and mortality.
Weight loss may be the main reason people start counting calories or macros, but there are a few other reasons.
Increasingly common terms in the fitness, and especially the bodybuilding industry, are bulking, cutting, and maintenance.
Bulking means you’re in a calorie surplus or eating more calories than you’re burning. Bulking is used as a means to build muscle mass. To build muscle, you need extra energy as well as intense, progressive strength training. The combination of strength training and a surplus of calories, especially calories from protein, will aid in muscle gain. Typically, fat will accumulate as well due to the excessive amount of calories.
Cutting means you’re in a calorie deficit. It is also the foundation for any weight loss diet. An important thing to note here is that you still want to provide the muscles with a strong stimulus from weight or resistance training to help the body retain muscle and utilize fat for energy. If you just eat a calorie deficit diet and don't include any resistance training, you may lose muscle.
Maintenance is just a way to say you're trying to maintain the weight and muscle mass you have at the moment. You’re not looking to lose fat, or put on a substantial amount of muscle quickly, so you’re eating about the same amount of calories you’re burning in a day, give or take a little.
Calorie or Macro counting, what’s better?
Counting calories used to be the route people chose to lose weight, but lately, counting macros has become the new front runner for weight loss.
Why is this?
Counting calories alone can be easier, but it's also more likely to be done without nutrition in mind, meaning you are less likely to get all your essential vitamins and minerals.
Counting calories as a “diet” has also been proven not to be effective long term.
This is because overly restrictive diets can take the pleasure out of eating.
Also, because eating different foods affect your metabolism, hormone levels, hunger, and appetite differently. Counting calories alone may leave one feeling unsatisfied and hungry because they may not be getting enough of the nutritional content they need to keep them satiated (feeling full) and energized.
Since counting macros is taking counting calories one step further, it can help you better understand where calories are coming from and how they affect your body, ie, nutrient-dense vs. empty calories.
This will help your body get all of the essential vitamins and minerals it needs to function optimally.
In this sense, macro counting can be a more effective tool in figuring out what kinds of food give you enough energy, keep you fuller longer, and keep you away from cravings.
Counting macros has also been coined as the “flexible diet.” This is because if it fits your macro range, you can essentially eat whatever you want. Donuts, pizza, & fries. IIFYM - If It Fits Your Macros. In this regard, many people find it easier to stick to long term (but this should not be taken to an extreme).
Lastly, macro counts can also be changed in accordance to what makes each person's body function and feel the best. Meaning one person may feel best on a lower carb, higher fat diet and someone else might feel their best on a higher carb, lower-fat diet.
Compared to counting calories, counting macros is a more strategic way to manipulate your diet according to your body's needs and goals.
Counting macros is the healthier, more balanced, well rounded, and strategic option.
Where Counting Falls Short
Both ways of calorie counting have their limitations:
Essentially both methods fall short in the area of nutrition. You could hit both your macros or calories without eating a single vegetable.
Being in a calorie deficit can already feel restrictive; adding macros to the mix can make it feel even more complicated.
Counting either macros or calories can lead to unhealthy, non-nutritious eating habits. For example, eating foods that are labeled as “low carb,” “low calorie,” or “non-fat.” Many of these foods are highly processed and full of additive ingredients.
95% of people who lose weight by dieting will regain it in 1 to 5 years. This is because dieting should only be a temporary plan. Overly depriving yourself of food can lead to a diet overeat or diet-binge cycle. This is when “yo-yo dieting” happens. You stick to a diet just long enough to lose said amount of pounds and then you go back to your unhealthy eating habits shortly after, gaining back the weight and sometimes more.
How to Succeed in the Long Run
Permanent healthy weight loss is typically achieved by adopting a healthier mindset around food and exercise meaning eating enjoyable yet nutritious foods and exercising in a way that makes you feel good on an almost daily basis.
Try to change your mindset and think more long-term and less short-term.
That doesn’t mean counting calories or macros is necessarily bad either! But they are tools that can help you only to a certain extent.
If you’re trying to lose weight by dieting, think of the lifestyle you would like to lead and consider if the diet will work in the long run.
Or, will a temporary diet help you to make better, sustainable choices after your goal weight is achieved?