My macro story begins in February 2019. I have always followed fitness and diet trends (I should probably add that I was obsessed with any diet craze and figuring out the science behind it) so I was aware of what macros were. But I had never tried planning and counting them. Before this time, my life was one of constant motion. Never stopping between work, family, and schedules. I could barely get a slow cooker meal thrown together, much less plan out a meal plan and prep for it in order to count macros.
I was working out everyday at high intensity levels (AKA: Orange Theory), but the stress and environment that I was in had me maxing out on calories and losing my drive. During this time, I was also put on medication by my doctor that caused me to gain 15 pounds within 2 months.
The medicine mixed with comfort food did not make for a good “me.” My clothes didn’t fit anymore and yet I was determined not to buy anything new. Why? Well, don’t you know? Every Monday was going to be different. I would change and lose all my weight. Ugh…Did I mention I was hitting rock bottom?
Before I go any further with my macro story, let me explain what a macro is. Macro stands for macronutrient. They are the “big” nutrients that your body needs everyday in order to provide you with energy. Macros consist of carbs, proteins, and fat (and some consider alcohol to be a macronutrient as well). These macros combined equal your calorie count.
The science behind it is simple…it’s all math! You count and weigh the amount of food you eat and add up the numbers to find your calories. Some people prefer to stick with just counting calories. This is perfectly fine and especially for the beginner, I would say DO IT! For those wanting to define their fitness with a bit more detail, macro counting is the way to go.
So it sounds like a lot of work, weighing, using your calculator, formulating a plan. That’s a lot of work for sure, but I’d like to introduce you to Macro Cliffnotes…the My Fitness Pal app! This is the best way to go for counting anything you eat. Check out my explanation video for more details on how to track your food.
On with my story…I have always used My Fitness Pal to count what I ate. I would plan out quick meals that would fall in line with my macro numbers. My grocery list always centered around new recipes and a plan to cook 5 nights a week. Let me just tell you, that never happened and I wasted so many bags of spring mix and kale in the meantime.
I also have an unbearable sweet tooth so I made sure that there was room in my count for dessert. I mean, I had done my research and somewhere read that it doesn’t matter what you eat as long as you stick within your numbers (“your numbers” meaning the amount of protein, carbs, and fat that you need).
Lies! It does matter what you eat. I mean it is the SUGAR that puts cellulite on your thighs…not the grilled chicken.
Because I became so focused on counting my macros, I missed counting calories. I would spend time to make sure I ate a set number of macronutrients, yet never paid attention to the calorie amount or how it all added up. The calories were what was hindering the weight loss because I consumed more than I put out by the end of the day. And it was all because I was choosing foods that were processed, plus that dang dessert!
I would find that I worked so hard Monday-Wednesday and by Thursday I threw in the towel as I looked forward to the weekend. My focus on a plan that wasn’t realistic had me failing on every attempt.
As 2018 came to a close, I made it through the holidays and decided to make some big changes in 2019. In February, I signed up with a personal trainer. This was the best decision of my life! Team Bates was exactly what I needed to kick my butt into gear. The knowledge and new desire for getting fit was great, but the accountability was what made all the difference.
My trainer got to know me and my goals and created a month long plan that was realistic yet challenging. His presence and encouragement alone pushed me harder than I had ever been able to do on my own. I found that I could mentally challenge myself in a way that I did not know existed simply by encouraging myself. Especially when the workout wore me out, I found I always had MORE to give.
At this point, I also started counting macros that were ALL clean. No more “fudging” my count (no pun intended). I laid out a weekly meal plan and because I like to keep things simple, I ate the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyday and switched dinner up between 2-3 meals each week (Let me add that my family didn’t go unfed. My husband jumped on board with me and my girls are just straight up picky. So I will confess I am a “Child Sous Chef.”)
I put in the hard work of meal prepping every Sunday. If we ran out of food in the week, I made sure I stayed up and cooked extra on a week night because I knew that prepping food was my survival. I still used My Fitness Pal everyday and this time, not only paid attention to carbs, protein, and fats, but also monitored the amount of sugar I took in as well.
Within only a few months, I had dropped all my pregnancy weight and my stomach that withstood a c-section looked completely different. The nutrition is about 70% of the work, but the other 30% (the “gym work”) was where I also changed.
Like I said before with the help of my trainer, I paid attention to lifting heavy and controlled weights (BTW, it’s an absolute lie that women shouldn’t lift heavy weight…more to come on that). I worked out every body part at least twice a week to give it all special attention. But my biggest change was that I no longer did HIIT cardio. Instead I focused on long and sustained cardio so that I worked my heart rate, metabolism, and took weight off without losing the muscle that I was working so hard to build. This process of cardio training is LONG AND BORING, but in the end it is the way to keep weight in control.
Now, ten months later, I continue to count macros on a clean and lean diet. It’s not a diet at all anymore, but a lifestyle. I have figured out what works for me so that I can cheat occasionally with greasy food or my choice of dessert. However, I do try to keep it all in perspective and balanced.
People ask me often, “why do all the work for counting macros? Just count calories.” I totally agree that everyone should pay attention to the caloric count they consume everyday. Especially since we live in a world where food is available and processed food can come on demand. But my answer to macros over calories always has to do with individual goals. The more detailed you want to be with your fitness, physique, or health, then the more detailed you need to be with your nutrition.
If your goal is to lose weight, then focus on protein. To maintain weight, eat a balance of carbs and protein. To gain weight or build muscle, you want to focus on carbs with the right amount of protein. Each macronutrient is important and has to be a part of the big picture.
So nows the time to start your macro story. Rather than face this challenge with the fear of food, approach it with excitement over what food can do for your body and your health. The work is hard, but totally worth it.
Here’s to counting macros for the win!
