"What doesn’t get measured doesn’t get managed."
– Peter Drucker
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protein • fats • carbs •
what
is a macro count?
A macro count is a personalized plan we create to help you achieve your goals. It includes a targeted calorie goal and specific macro goals for protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
The 4 phases of nutrition should be thoughtfully cycled through as needed. From firsthand experience and coaching others, we’ve observed that many people spend too much time in the dieting phase. This can be harmful both metabolically and hormonally, causing adaptations that lower your maintenance calories and lead to negative biofeedback. It can also sabotage your progress by depriving your body of the proper fuel needed for daily function, added activity, and recovery.
Let’s break down each phase for a better understanding…
Understanding
the Four Phases
of Nutrition
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During a caloric deficit, you consume fewer calories than your body requires, aiming for fat loss while preserving lean muscle mass. This phase is often referred to as "cutting" or "dieting". The duration typically ranges from 8 to 16 weeks or longer, depending on individual biofeedback and the desired amount of fat loss.
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Maintenance involves consuming calories that closely match your body's energy needs to sustain your current body weight and composition. It's the phase where you'll spend the majority of your time, ideally maintaining this state once you've achieved your fat loss goals, until you decide to transition into a surplus phase to focus on muscle building.
While maintenance is a sustainable phase, you may still experience simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain, known as body recomposition. This can occur especially if you're new to macro tracking or engaging in strength training with progressive overload. As you begin to gain more lean muscle mass, your calorie requirements may increase. It's important to monitor cues such as hunger levels and energy and adjust your calorie intake accordingly. -
In a reverse diet, you systematically increase your calorie intake from the deficit phase toward maintenance levels. The primary goal is to counteract metabolic adaptation that occurs due to prolonged calorie restriction. While this phase may involve some fat gain, the gradual calorie increase helps mitigate this effect.
The duration of a reverse diet is flexible and can be tailored to your needs. At a minimum, gradually increase your calorie intake to reach your new or estimated maintenance level. Extending this phase beyond your projected caloric intake can help optimize your metabolic capacity and accurately determine your true maintenance calories based on your body’s feedback. You can then make adjustments as needed to maintain your desired body composition by fine-tuning your calorie intake. -
During a surplus phase, you consume slightly more calories than your body needs, often referred to as "bulking". The goal is to create an environment conducive to gaining weight, primarily lean muscle mass. Some fat gain will occur, but the emphasis is on maximizing muscle growth, which contributes to a stronger, more defined physique.
What Are Macros?
"Macros" is short for macronutrients, are the main nutrients your body needs in large amounts to function properly. They include protein, carbohydrates, and fats, which form the fundamental components of every diet.
FAQs
Understanding Macros & Their Importance
For starters, when referring to "diet," we mean eating to fuel your body, not in the sense of a restrictive "diet" aimed at weight loss.
In every diet and for every weight loss goal, macros are the building blocks of nutrition and significantly impact how effectively we reach our goals. Counting macros is a popular method for creating flexible and sustainable diets without resorting to restrictive, unhealthy behaviors.
So, what exactly are these macros, and why do they matter for health and weight loss?
Tracking Macros:
This refers to tracking and eating specific amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats each day.
Your macro targets should be unique to you. Factors like age, height, weight, body type, activity level, fitness goals, and current routine are all considered when determining your specific macros.
How It Works:
Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is calculated, which helps determine how many calories you need.
To lose weight, you consume fewer calories than your TDEE (a deficit). To gain weight, you consume more (a surplus).
These calories are divided into specific ratios of carbs, proteins, and fats, which are tailored to your needs and goals.
How to Track Your Macros:
You can use apps like MyFitnessPal, MacrosFirst, etc. to track your food intake. These apps help you keep a running total of your daily calories and macronutrient breakdown.
By the end of the day, your aim is to consume foods that align with your specific macro targets, often referred to as 'meeting your macros'.
Adjusting Your Macros:
Sometimes, you may need to fine-tune your macros to better align with your goals. This is where having a coach can be incredibly helpful.
We provide personalized 1:1 coaching for nutrition, and also offer training combined with nutrition coaching if desired.
By understanding and managing your intake of these macronutrients, you can create a balanced and effective diet tailored specifically to your needs.
TWO custom macro counts tailored for different phases: either a calorie deficit (cut) or surplus (bulk), along with projected maintenance numbers.
Our comprehensive 83 page 1x Macro Count & Nutrition Guide: Science-backed information covering all macros, navigating your own reverse diet back to maintenance after dieting, habit tracker, understanding fat loss with realistic expectations and signs to watch for, decoding nutrition labels, detailed exploration of each nutrition phase and their significance, dietary considerations, flexible dieting insights, FAQs, meal prep strategies, on-the-go meal and snack ideas, expert macro tracking tips, how to manage and track alcohol intake, printable grocery lists and meal planners, a handy macro cheat sheet, a list of high-fiber foods, and much more.
