All About Macros || My Macro Tracking Journey

I’ve been wanting to write this post for months…

A bit of background: I’d been trying to lose some body fat and gain some muscle for a while. I’m trying to be proactive as I get older since one of my goals is to be active way into my eighties and beyond, and I know that continuing to build muscle (which naturally decreases as we get older) and keeping my body fat in check are important. Especially since I’ve had two bone density tests come back not totally favorable due to going into instant menopause after my hysterectomy 5 1/2 years ago. And resistance training + a good body fat percentage are great ways to combat bone loss.

I tried different programs, and while I did have some success, it wasn’t long term, I felt like I wasn’t eating enough calories to support my workouts, and I was hungry, which was frustrating. I heard about macro tracking (also known as IIFYM—If It Fits Your Macros) from some people I work with, so I thought I’d give it a try. One downside to a lot of programs is that they can be restrictive—both food-wise and calorie-wise, which does not work long term or in real life. And I love chocolate and some other treats..from time to time…and I wanted a plan that would allow for these treats, that would work in real life, and that I could follow long-term. I decided to give macro tracking a try.

I calculated my macros using this website, which is an awesome website! Yes, there was a learning curve, but I’m okay with that. I used the app MyMacros+ to track my macros every day, and I gradually built up my Favorites list in the app with foods I eat regularly. I tried macro tracking for a couple of months, and I really liked it since I could fit “real life” situations (eating out, parties, treats, etc.) into my eating plan—in moderation—along with healthy foods. But..I really wasn’t losing any weight, which was frustrating. I wasn’t gaining weight either, but still…. I think the main reason this website didn’t work for me is that since I really didn’t have too much to lose, it couldn’t offer me specific enough numbers for my goals. But I do think it would definitely work for those with more pounds to lose. When you get close to your goal weight range, it’s more difficult to hit your goal since you have to be really careful that you’re eating enough calories so you’re not cannibalizing the muscle you do have but not too many calories so you’re gaining body fat. It can be tricky finding the correct balance.

As a 2017 New Year’s present to myself, I decided to hire a macros coach who came highly recommended by a friend. I saw her before and after pictures on Instagram, and I was amazed! I began with my coach on January 3rd, and at the beginning, my coach kept my calories pretty much the same but tweaked my carbs and fats. And I started losing weight! It was amazing! She gradually decreased my macros, and we kept tweaking them based on my progress. And the crazy thing—which totally goes against “old school” weight loss theories—I lost more weight as she upped my fats and decreased my carbs, and I wasn’t hungry like I’d been on other plans.

By August, I’d lost 17 pounds! My original goal was to lose 5-7 pounds, and I never thought—in my wildest dreams—that I’d get back down to less than high school weight. I felt amazing—both mentally and physically! And tracking macros was vacation, eating out, and “real life” friendly.

I was hooked! This was one of the best presents I’d ever given myself—by far!

And the other amazing thing? I’d lost those pounds with no running (only walking a couple of days a week) and restricted resistance training for a good part of the year since I was dealing with a back issue. This proves that while working out is very important, nutrition is 80% of weight loss!

The next goal was to start building more muscle, so my coach gradually upped my macros as I was able to start working out more. And yes, I have put on a few pounds, but I know they’re healthy pounds. We’re not done yet, and we’re trying to find the balance between building muscle but not gaining fat or cannibalizing muscle.

Another thing I’ve learned throughout this journey is that I’m pretty stuck to that number on the scale. And while the scale can be a good accountability tool, it definitely does not tell the whole story. A few times I’ve “gained” a pound+ during the week, and my first reaction was to get really frustrated and even want to give up. But I’d talk myself back down off of that ledge and realize that 1) there is no way I’d eaten 3500+ extra calories during the week (there are 3500 calories in a pound), and 2) I’d stuck to my macros and worked out. Any weight “gain” was temporary and was probably due to extra sodium, carbs (even the healthiest carbs can cause water retention), not getting enough sleep, an awesome resistance workout the day before (muscles retain water as they’re repairing post-workout), and/or I wasn’t drinking enough water.

So…how does macro tracking work? Once you have your numbers, it’s like a budget. Any money you spend is subtracted from your budget, and if you go over, that’s not good. It’s the same with macros—your goal is to stay within your macros each day. So as I eat a meal, those macros are subtracted from my daily totals. My coach gives me a 5 gram range (over or under) each day for each macro since it’s nearly impossible to hit your numbers exactly every day. But it is a fun challenge to get as close as possible! You also have 1-2 Refeed Days each week where you get to eat extra macros. I have two Refeed Days each week, and I use one on Fridays (date night, when we eat out and have dessert), and then I use the other one usually on Tuesday or Wednesday or sometimes another day, depending on what’s going on during the week. Refeed Days are important for two reasons:

1. Physically: The extra calories actually reset your metabolism for more weight loss/muscle gain.
2. Psychologically: Refeed Days allow you to work in more treat-like foods or other foods you’re craving that don’t fit into your macros during the rest of the week. You can fill those extra macros with healthy foods or a combo of healthy and more treat-like foods.

If you’re interested in trying macro tracking, here are some tips:

1. Plan your meals ahead of time—either the night before or first thing in the morning. If you don’t plan, you can find yourself at 3 pm with very few macros left, or at 9 pm with extra macros. I’ve had both happen. The 9 pm thing isn’t too bad, but the 3 pm thing? So not fun. Since I’ve built up my Favorites list in my app, it only takes a few minutes to plan my day. Sometimes I’m not sure what we’re having for dinner, so I try and leave enough macros to cover whatever we might have.
2. Little tweaks can be make a difference! Once my day is planned, if I’m a little bit over or under, I can hit my macro ranges with a few little tweaks. For example, I have sliced almonds on my bran flakes every morning for breakfast. If, after I’ve planned my day, I’m over a bit on fats, I just decrease my almonds a little bit, and I’m good to go!
3. Fit in small treats. The problem with a lot of nutrition programs is that those treats we like don’t fit into the plan. At all. And this leads to huge cravings, and often, to binges where we throw our hands up in the air and eat all of the treats. With macro tracking, it’s pretty easy to fit in small treats—like a piece or two of my favorite Dove Dark Chocolate—which makes me happy and is just enough to take care of that late afternoon craving that hits some days.
4. There’s a learning curve. Do your best, and you will get it! And yes, some days you’ll go over, but that’s totally okay. That’s life. One day here and there of too many macros will not ruin all of the progress you’ve made. As you learn, it will become easier to plan your days and hit your numbers.
5. Use an app to track your macros. Like I said, I love MyMacros+. I bought the $2.99 version (a $2.99 one time charge) so I didn’t have to deal with the ads. Many people like MyFitnessPal, and while it works for a lot of people, I’m not a huge fan.
6. Drink enough water. I aim for 1/2 my body weight in ounces + some extra for what I lose during working out daily. Water is so important for so many reasons! This is my favorite water bottle (I have two of these…one to use, one for the dishwasher ). It’s cute, it’s dishwasher safe, it’s super easy to clean (some water bottles are almost impossible to get totally clean), and it holds 32 ounces!
7. Weigh and measure everything you eat! Eyeballing isn’t the most exact way to measure what you’re eating. As you get used to what weighs what, you will become better at eyeballing when you’re not able to weigh/measure your foods.
8. Choose healthy foods…most of the time. While it can be tempting to use your macros for not-so-healthy foods, try and fill at least 80% of your macros with lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats. Your body needs the macronutrients and micronutrients these foods offer to not only be healthy, but to help you get closer to your goals. And volumizing your meals with vegetables (especially the non-root/non-starchy ones) can make you feel fuller for way less calories. Another tip to help you feel fuller longer is to divide your protein macros between all of your meals since protein helps you feel fuller longer, and protein also helps build/repair pretty much everything in our bodies.

And here’s what one of my recent macro tracking days looked like:

I know that I won’t track macros forever, and I’ll move into more of an intuitive eating plan eventually, but while I’m still not quite where I want to be goal-wise, this is what is working for me. Some people would say this is restrictive, but I think it’s actually very freeing. It gives me a plan and flexibility within that plan, which definitely works for me in my real life! If we decide we want to go out for froyo occasionally, I work it into my macros. When we go to Cravings Alisha’s Cupcakes when we’re in Utah (if you haven’t been there, go!), I work it into my macros. And I know that my body is getting the nutrients it needs for me to feel amazing AND to achieve my short and long-term goals.

I have several other macro-related posts swirling around in my brain, so if you have any questions or want to know more, leave me a comment below! And while I’m not THE EXPERT on macro tracking, I’m happy to share what I’ve learned and even do some research to find the answers to your questions!

Update: Since I wrote this post over 18 months, I found this amazing macros calculator from Precision Nutrition. I think it’s the best one I’ve found!

**Disclaimer: The views, opinions, positions, research, analyses, strategies or other information discussed here are my views and are for informational purposes only. Please consult your physician or other health care professional before beginning this or any nutrition program.