*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The testimonials featured may have used more than one Beachbody product or extended the program to achieve their maximum results.

Exercise and proper diet are necessary to achieve and maintain weight loss and muscle definition. +Results vary depending on starting point, goals and effort. The information provided on this website (including the Blogs, Community pages, Program Materials and all other content) was originally intended for a U.S. With the exception of a pretty simple equation to identify the ideal daily calorie range for you to lose weight (based on your overall daily activity and exercise program), you simply choose appropriate foods that fit into the color-coded portion containers and teaspoons, and you’ll eat within the program’s recommended daily macro breakdown. Of course, you could instead follow the Ultimate Portion Fix nutrition plan, which does all of these calculations for you. The question you’ve gotta ask yourself is: Do you really wanna? You can also apply these three steps to any macronutrient-focused diet including the ketogenic diet and Atkins diet. In which case, you may need to start back at step one to readjust your macros if what you’ve calculated no longer does the trick. Phew! And, that’s it… until you hit a weight-loss plateau. Track the fat, protein, and carbohydrate content of every food you put in your mouth - either in a bullet journal or using an online food diary. For a 2,000-calories diet, that would be: So, divide your total calories from carbohydrates and protein calories by four, and divide your fat calories by nine, to get their respective gram counts. Protein and carbohydrates are 4 calories per gram, and fat is 9 calories per gram. Next, you’ll want to convert those numbers into grams, to make things easier when you’re reading nutrition labels.

800 calories from carbohydrates (40 percent).For example, if you eat 2,000 calories per day, then you would aim for: OK, you’ve got a bunch of percentages - now what?įirst, convert the recommended breakdown of macronutrients into the number of calories that should come from each. This makes room for healthy fats like avocado, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds. How you budget your macros depends on your objective(s) - such as gaining muscle or losing weight - and the acceptable macronutrient range can vary widely.īODi’s recommendation for weight loss is a moderate split: Using the National Institute of Health’s Body Weight Planner, you can estimate your daily calorie target based on the following factors: You’ll need to do math, and lots of it! Here’s a four-step game plan that can help to demystify counting macros for weight loss. But you can count macros in a healthy way. But needless to say, you shouldn’t be getting the bulk of your fat and carbs from Oreos and French fries, even if it fits your macros. That’s the idea behind counting macros - anything goes, “if it fits your macros.” And if you’re someone who struggles with cravings, that can be pretty appealing. You can hit that goal by eating fruit, veggies, whole grains, and legumes - but you can also hit that goal by eating cupcakes and candy. You can meet your macronutrient balance goals perfectly and still be eating a crappy diet.įor example, say you’re aiming to get 40 percent of your daily calories from carbohydrates. Like calories, macros paint an incomplete picture of diet quality. People who swear by counting macros for weight loss will tell you that macros give you a better picture of diet quality - but that’s only partly true. Food quality matters, so you want to get those calories from minimally-processed foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein.

“Macros” is a cute nickname for the macronutrients - carbohydrates, fat, and protein - that provide you with the calories you need each day.Ĭalories, of course, play a starring role in weight loss - but there’s more to weight loss than just slashing calories.

Macro counting before and after