How do I track macros?

Tracking macros means counting the grams of protein, carbs and fat you eat each day against a target. Set your calorie and protein targets first, split the rest between carbs and fat, then log everything you eat for a few weeks. Protein matters most; carbs and fat can float as long as calories stay on target.

1. Pick a calorie target. Start from your maintenance calories, then go about 10 to 20 percent lower to lose fat, or about 5 to 10 percent higher to gain muscle.
2. Set protein first. Aim for about 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight (0.7 grams per pound) if you train. Protein has 4 calories per gram.
3. Set fat next. Keep fat at about 20 to 35 percent of calories, the healthy range in the US dietary guidelines. Fat has 9 calories per gram.
4. Give carbs the rest. Whatever calories are left go to carbs, at 4 calories per gram. Most people land between 45 and 65 percent of calories.
5. Log everything for two to four weeks. Write down or tell your assistant every meal, snack and drink. Use the label when there is one.
6. Adjust from your trend. After two to four weeks, compare your weekly average weight with your goal and move calories up or down by 100 to 200 a day.

What “macros” means

Macros are the three nutrients that carry calories: protein, carbohydrate and fat. Every food label lists them in grams. Protein and carbs have about 4 calories per gram, and fat has about 9. That’s why a small amount of oil adds calories quickly.

Why tracking works

People who keep a record of what they eat tend to lose more weight than people who don’t. A review of 22 studies found a consistent link between self-monitoring and weight loss. The record itself is the point. You notice the snacks, the drinks and the second helpings that slip by otherwise.

A worked example

Say you weigh 80 kg (176 lb), you lift three times a week, and your maintenance is about 2,600 calories.

• Calories: 2,600 minus 15 percent is about 2,200.
• Protein: 80 × 1.6 = 128 g, which is 512 calories.
• Fat: 25 percent of 2,200 is 550 calories, or about 61 g.
• Carbs: the rest, 2,200 − 512 − 550 = 1,138 calories, or about 285 g.

That’s 2,200 calories: 128 g protein, 285 g carbs and 61 g fat. The protein calculator gives your protein range.

Make logging take less time

The hard part isn’t the math. It’s writing everything down, every day. A few habits help:

• Log as you eat, not at night from memory.
• Save meals you eat often, so a repeat breakfast is one entry.
• Read the label: serving size first, then protein, carbs and fat per serving.
• Round sensibly. A gram here or there won’t change your results.

If you count food, be kind to yourself about it. If tracking starts to make you anxious, or you have a history of disordered eating, stop and talk to a health professional.