Tracking macros isn’t just a trend: It’s a practical approach to managing your nutrition. By monitoring the grams of protein, fats, and carbohydrates you consume, you can hit your fitness goals, whether losing weight, gaining muscle, or improving overall health. But getting started with macro tracking can feel overwhelming. How do you even know where to start? If you’ve ever wondered How to Track My Macros, you’re in the right place. This article will help you master macro tracking to achieve your fitness goals efficiently without feeling restricted.
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Macros, or macronutrients, are the three primary nutrients that provide energy in the form of calories:
Your body needs macronutrients in larger quantities because each nutrient has essential functions. Tracking macros helps you monitor your intake of all three macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats) for specific health and fitness goals.
Protein molecules comprise “building blocks” called amino acids joined together in chains. These building blocks form the structure of our body’s tissues (most notably muscle tissue, organs, bones, skin, hair, and connective tissue). Protein also plays a vital role in helping you retain your current muscle and build additional muscle mass.
Protein is the most satiating nutrient because it can delay hunger better than the other macronutrients. So, if you’re not getting enough protein, you are more likely to lose muscle mass, fail to grow more muscle and feel hungrier. Some examples of high-protein foods are:
Each gram of protein provides approximately four calories.
Carbohydrates are molecules of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that provide energy to fuel physical activity like workouts and bodily functions that keep us alive. They also come in different forms: simple or complex.
Simple carbohydrates (sugars) are absorbed directly into the bloodstream and provide energy very quickly, ideal for pre- and post-workout meals when you need more energy. Complex carbohydrates (starches) have longer chains of molecules that take longer to digest and provide energy more slowly over time, which is ideal when you want to stay full longer.
Fiber is also a carbohydrate, but the body cannot usually break it down, so it does not provide calories. Consuming enough fiber is important because it adds bulk to your stool to help digestion. Some examples of carbohydrates are:
Whether simple or complex, each gram of carbohydrate provides approximately four calories.
Dietary fats (the fats that we eat) are molecules made up of essential fatty acids. Depending on how the molecules are arranged, the fats can be trans, saturated, or unsaturated (monounsaturated or polyunsaturated). Getting enough dietary fat is essential for cognitive function, hormonal health, and other body processes. Still, too much fat, especially trans fat, and saturated fat, is a leading risk factor for heart disease.
I recommend getting most of your fat from unsaturated sources, some from saturated sources, and little to no trans fats.
Some examples of dietary fats are:
Each gram of fat provides approximately nine calories. Getting enough dietary fat is essential for cognitive function, hormonal health, and other body processes. Too much fat, especially trans fat and saturated fat is a leading risk factor for heart disease. I recommend getting most of your fat from unsaturated fat, some from saturated fat, and little to no trans fats.
Tracking macros also indirectly tracks calories (the most crucial factor for weight changes), because macronutrients provide the calories we consume. The balance of calories consumed compared to the calories we expend (“energy balance”) will determine whether we gain, lose, or maintain our weight:
Tracking macros and being more aware of my consumption can help me reach my weight goals more quickly.
While calories matter most for changes in body weight, macronutrient breakdown (the ratio of carbs to fats to protein) matters more for body composition. Body composition refers to how much of your body comprises lean mass (i.e., muscle) versus fat mass. Most people care more about body composition than about body weight.
This is because if they look lean (lower body fat percentage) with visible muscle definition (hello abs), then that is preferable to weighing less but having a higher body fat percentage with no visible muscles.
Macronutrients are also crucial for optimizing physical performance in training or sport. It’s essential to get the right amount of each macronutrient to support the demands of the activity. Macro tracking ensures that athletes get enough protein to repair and grow muscle tissue for strength, enough carbs to fuel for and recover from their workouts, and the right amount of fat to support bodily functions without bogging them down.
Think of protein and carbs as your “performance nutrients” and fat as your “rest and digest” nutrient. Protein and carbs should be prioritized around your workouts, whereas fats should be prioritized at other times during the day.
Tracking macros can help people learn what combinations of foods make them feel their best regarding:
All these elements contribute to overall wellness, and the right balance will optimize immune function to reduce getting sick.
Tracking macros is an excellent approach for people ready to handle the complexity of weighing and measuring everything they eat. Tracking macros is very hands-on and can be time-consuming initially, so it’s best for those willing to work and learn as they go.
Tracking macros is not recommended for individuals with a history of disordered eating or a poor relationship with food. Also, anyone with obsessive and/or compulsive tendencies may find that the amount of detail and emphasis on numbers in macro tracking can make these tendencies even worse.
“Anyone with a previous or current eating disorder, or can become obsessive or compulsive about these aspects of nutrition, probably shouldn’t be tracking.” – Dr. Marc Morris. Mastering Nutrition Basics: Building Skills Before Tracking Macros
Tracking macros shouldn’t be the first step for those learning about nutrition. Key skills need to be mastered before diving head-first into tracking. Learning to shop for, prepare, and cook lean protein sources, whole grains, starchy vegetables, and fruit are key skills to get in place before adding a layer of complexity with tracking macros.
I recommend having these basic building blocks in place first; otherwise, tracking macros can become about the quantity rather than the quality of food consumed.
Dietitian Mary Sabat explains: “While counting macros can be an effective way to gauge intake and ensure that one is getting the right balance of (macro) nutrients, it does not guarantee that the food being eaten is actually healthy and good for one’s body.”
Before counting macros, you need to figure out your daily calorie goal. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests that the calorie needs of adult women range from 1,600 to 2,000 per day, with men having an estimated daily calorie range of between 2,000 and 3,200. Your specific needs will depend on your activity level, weight, age, and various other factors, too, and it can be helpful to make your calorie goal more personal to achieve your goals.
To do this, you should determine your resting energy expenditure (REE) and non-resting energy expenditure (NREE). REE means the number of calories you burn while sleeping, and NREE refers to the calories burned during activity and digestion. Research published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that adding your REE and NREE together will give you the total number of calories you burn daily.
The whole equation you need to work out the calories you burn daily is a little complicated, so it’s best to use an online calculator. But for your reference, this is the calculation:
Men: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) + 5
Women: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) – 161
From there, multiply your result by an activity factor – a number that represents different levels of activity:
To determine how many calories you should eat daily, add or subtract calories from your daily expenditure, depending on your aim. For example, if you want to lose weight, you should deduct a small amount from your total daily expenditure, or if you’re looking to build muscle, you should add calories.
Once you know your calorie goal, you can figure out your macros goal. Before you start tracking your macros, it’s helpful to understand why you’re doing it, particularly if you have a specific goal in mind, like muscle gain or weight loss, so you can split your macros accordingly. Many people split their macros by dedicating 40% to carbohydrates, 40% to protein, and 20% to fat, but this formula is mainly geared towards muscle gain. If you’re not interested in building muscle, your protein goal might be lower and your fat or carbohydrate goal higher—it’s about learning what these macronutrients do for your body and which ones you need to consume more or less of to reach your goals.
You’ll want to select a tracking app that focuses on macronutrients (rather than just calories) and has a reliable database of foods so that you know the information is accurate. Apps like MyFitnessPal and LifeSum allow you to track your macros each day easily. But if you’d prefer, you can also just note the macros in my food in a journal. I’ll usually be able to find the nutritional information for food on its packet or, if I’m eating out, on the restaurant’s website or menu.
To track my intake more accurately, I’ll need to know exactly how much I eat and drink; the best way is to use a digital food scale to weigh my food. Weighing food (in grams or ounces) is generally more reliable than using a measuring cup (but I’ll want to get some measuring cups and spoons, too).For example, a ½ cup of oats is 40 grams. When you weigh oats on a food scale, I know I have 40 grams. If I rely on a ½ cup measure, I might get 30-60 grams of oats.
Before trying to hit macro targets, begin by learning to record what you usually eat and drink. Most nutrition apps allow you to search for foods or use a barcode scanner to get the nutrition information for packaged food quickly. When tracking packaged foods, I’ll pay attention to the serving size on the package and use my food scale to measure my actual portion size. I don’t have to adhere to the serving size listed on the label, but I will use that for reference when logging my intake.
For example, if the stated serving size is 30 grams and my serving is 45 grams, I will log 1.5 servings. For foods that do not have a nutrition label (like many fruits and vegetables), I’ll measure my serving and then type the food name in the app’s search box. For example, if I had 150 grams of apple slices, I would search for “Apple” and input my 150-gram serving. Get in the habit of tracking everything you eat and drink. I wait until I have at least 1-2 weeks of consistent data before I try to make changes. It’s hard to get where you want to go if you don’t know where you are starting.
Once I have at least 1-2 weeks of consistent data, I can evaluate my trends and use that information to determine how to make changes to reach my goal. I’ll want to determine how many calories I’ve averaged and how this calorie intake has affected my body weight.If my current calorie intake doesn’t align with my goal, I will want to adjust it up or down by 10-20%.
For example:
Let’s say that my average intake totals 2000 calories. If I’ve been maintaining or gaining weight at 2000 calories and want to lose weight, I must pick a lower target of 10-20% (1600-1800 calories). On the other hand, if I’ve been maintaining or losing weight at 2000 calories and want to gain weight, then I need to pick a higher target by 10-20% (2200-2400 calories).
Suppose I’ve been maintaining my weight at 2000 calories but would like to optimize my body composition and/or improve sports performance. In that case, I might need to adjust my ratio of macronutrients (how many calories are coming from protein vs carbs vs fats).
I can start calculating my macronutrient targets once I adjust my calorie intake to reflect my goals.
My recommendation is for ~30% of calories from protein. At 2000 calories, this would be 600 calories, which is 150 grams of protein (since each gram provides four calories).If my current intake is only 50 grams of protein, then it may not be reasonable to triple it to 150 grams overnight. I should be patient and gradually work my way up to a higher intake.
My recommendation is for ~40% of calories from carbohydrates. At 2000 calories, this would be 800 calories, which is 200 grams of carbs (since each gram provides four calories).
Athletes and highly active individuals might need even more, so I’ll give a ratio of 2 grams of carbs for every gram of protein, which would be 300 grams of carbs (1200 calories). Again, this target might be far from my current intake, so I’ll make incremental changes to reach the desired target.
The remaining calories (30%) come from fat. At 2000 calories, this would be 600 calories, which is 67 grams of fat (each gram provides nine calories).
Take your time to make moderate changes to your intake until you reach your desired macronutrient targets. Then, get at least 1-2 weeks of hitting your targets.
Dr. Marc Morris agrees, stating that:
“First-time dieters set macronutrients based on what is ‘optimal’ vs. where they are currently at and where they should go. This makes the initial adjustments too hard to stick to at first and results suffer.” He recommends “making small objective changes in numbers towards ‘optimal,’ while getting results, gives time for the right habits and actions to catch up.”
When you’ve been able to hit your desired targets for at least 1-2 weeks, you’ll want to compare this “input” data (calories and macronutrients you’ve been putting into your body) to the “output” data that shows what your body has been responding to the change in calories and macros.
Consider the following measures:
Try to weigh yourself daily at the same time, in the same conditions (i.e., first thing in the morning, naked). The daily numbers will fluctuate, but you can calculate a weekly average weight (sum of the seven days divided by seven) and compare the weekly average weights over time.
While most devices (other than a DEXA) aren’t very accurate, they can give you at least an idea of trends over time. Many smart scales will record an estimate of body fat and weight during your daily weigh-ins.
Take key circumference measurements (such as chest, waist, and hips at a minimum) every 1-2 weeks.
How are your workouts going? Keep a log to see if the weights you lift are increasing, either in the number of reps or the amount lifted, and whether running/cardio workouts are getting faster/easier.
Keep notes on my mood and energy. If my goal is to lose weight, I might see a lower number on the scales, but if I’m miserable and have no energy, it can be a sign that my calorie intake is too low. I can record these indicators in a notebook or spreadsheet; some apps, like Cronometer, have features to record them all.
Based on the outputs (described in Step 6 above) compared to my goals, I can use this information to assess my progress and adjust my macros as necessary. This is outcome-based decision-making, which is the most accurate way to change my intake.
Although online macro calculators can be handy, my body is the best way to determine what works and is not. For example:
There are many factors to consider, so I recommend contacting a nutrition coach, even for a one-time consultation, if I need additional guidance and support.
Record all the foods you eat (and beverages you drink), not just when you’re “eating clean” or “being good.” You need the data to match what is going on in your life to help you get results. Like Dietitian Brianna Grande says: “Use macro tracking as information rather than assigning foods as good or bad.” It can be beneficial to notice when and why you eat certain foods. For example, you might eat pizza every Friday night to unwind from the workweek. Rather than feeling guilty, this allows you to consider a few options.
Tracking helps you learn, and learning gives you options and opportunities to try new things.
Be consistent with when, what you track (everything), and how you track.
Track your food intake before or after a meal to record the amount eaten accurately. Dietary recall (remembering what and how much you ate) could be more accurate, even if it lasts only a few hours.
Track almost everything—but, as Greg Nuckols, the founder of MacroFactor, says, “Make sure that tracking it will have a tangible benefit for you.” He explains, “If it doesn’t, you can easily find yourself in a position where you’re stressed about hitting 20 different targets, when only 3-4 of them actually move the needle.” This might mean tracking total calories, protein intake, and nothing else (not worrying about carb, fat, or fiber totals). You have to do what’s most realistic for you.
When there is more than one way to track a food (cooked vs. raw), pick the same method consistently. This might mean always weighing and logging cooked meat or constantly weighing and logging pasta or rice dry before cooking. Pick whatever will be most straightforward, and stay consistent.
Don’t get so hung up on precise measurements when tracking everything. If it’s causing you to feel overwhelmed to the point that you want to give up, then it’s not worth being that precise. For example, you won’t be able to weigh or measure the food at a restaurant or a friend’s house. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try to log it. Find an entry in the database that looks “close enough” and move on. Even if you were off by 700 calories with your estimate, this is only a 100-calorie difference in the weekly average. That’s way better than not being able to calculate a weekly average because you’re missing so many meals.
Once you’ve got the hang of tracking your macros, hitting your targets can feel like an art form. To help you master this magic, learn your single macro foods. These foods provide most of their calories from a single macronutrient and can help you hit your targets when you only have a certain number of grams left for protein, carbs, or fat.
Regarding tracking macros, like many other fitness goals, it’s better to be consistently good than occasionally great. This means being okay with not hitting your target macros perfectly every day and having to “eyeball” (guess) portion sizes without worrying about bringing my food scale with me everywhere. Once you’ve mastered tracking your macros consistently, you can focus more energy on hitting your targets more closely and often.
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